President Donald J. Trump was impeached on Wednesday.
For the third time in the nation’s his tory, the House of Representatives voted to impeach a sitting president, following a day-long debate on whether Trump violated his oath in pressuring Ukraine to damage a political opponent.
Trump was impeached on two articles. The 230-197 vote to impeach him for abuse of power was almost entirely on party lines and was followed quickly by a second vote that the president obstructed Congress.
BREAKING: Trump has been impeached on charges of abuse of power and obstruction of Congress.
@SpeakerPelosi announces the final vote: “On this vote the yeas are 229. The nays are 198. Present is one. Article II is adopted.” #ImpeachmentDaypic.twitter.com/hjhd1lSbJF— CAP Action (@CAPAction) December 19, 2019
The Senate trial on whether to remove the president will begin in early January.
Hours before the vote, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi took to the House floor to say it was imperative to impeach a president for the first time in two decades because Trump is “an ongoing threat to our national security and the integrity of our elections.”
“It is an established fact the president violated the Constitution,” Pelosi said, standing next to a sign with an American flag that quoted a line from the Pledge of Allegiance, “To the Republic, for which it stands…”
