WASHINGTON (NEXSTAR) — President Donald Trump on Wednesday became the first president in United States history to be impeached twice. The House of Representatives secured their votes late Wednesday afternoon with 10 Republicans breaking from their party to vote with Democrats for the impeachment.
Members of the House started debating an article of impeachment for “incitement of insurrection” on Wednesday morning. The charge was introduced to hold the president responsible for the attack on the U.S. Capitol one week ago.
“The violence last Wednesday was abhorrent,” Rep. Dan Bishop (R-NC) said.
However, Bishop slammed the process as “partisan” and said he would vote no on impeachment.
Republican South Carolina Rep. Nancy Mace strongly condemned Trump and said “he needs to be held accountable,” but said the impeachment effort was too rushed to earn her support.
“[It] poses great questions about the constitutionality of this process,” she added.
The impeachment vote comes exactly one week after the U.S. Capitol riot and exactly one week before President-elect Joe Biden’s inauguration. Some House members want President Trump out of office before that transition of power happens.
“The traitorous incitement of an insurrection demands not just impeachment but removal from office immediately,” Rep. Kathy Castor (D-FL) said Wednesday.
Castor is urging the Senate to act quickly. But Rep. Buddy Carter (R-GA) doesn’t expect it to get that far.
“It’s nothing more than a snap impeachment,” Carter said.
In a statement Wednesday, South Carolina Republican Lindsey Graham said, “the last thing the country needs is an impeachment trial of a president who is leaving office in one week.”
The Senate isn’t currently expected to return until Jan. 19, just one day before Biden takes office.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi named the House Impeachment Managers on Tuesday night, fully anticipating a trial in the Senate.