(Washington, DC) -- The House is moving toward the impeachment of President Trump for a second time. Members are considering a single article of impeachment that charges the President with inciting violence against the nation for his role in last week's attack on the Capitol building.
Maryland Democrat Jamie Raskin accused the President of inciting the deadly attack on the U.S. Capitol last week. He called Trump a clear and present danger and said he must be impeached. Florida Republican Matt Gaetz suggested impeachment is an "itch that won't go away" for Democrats. He also argued that the left has incited far more violence than the right has in the U.S. Trump is set to become the only American president to be impeached twice.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said Trump provoked an armed rebellion against democracy. The California Democrat called the Capitol siege an act of domestic terrorism. Pelosi accused the President of trying to tear down what holds the nation together. She said Trump is a desperate President who knows his power is slipping away. Pelosi called impeachment heartbreaking, but necessary.
Republican Congressman Jim Jordan says there are blatant "double standards" as the House moves to impeach President Trump for a second time. Jordan of Ohio brought up the efforts by the Democrats in the 2016 election when they objected to Trump's victory over Hillary Clinton, claiming Russian inference.
The House minority leader believes President Trump bears responsibility for Wednesday's riot at the Capitol. Speaking on the House floor during today's impeachment proceedings, Kevin McCarthy said Trump should have "immediately denounced the mob when he saw it was unfolding." But McCarthy added that impeaching Trump in such a short time frame is a mistake. Instead, he is calling for a fact finding commission.
Republican Leader Mitch McConnell will not agree to bring back the Senate early for an impeachment trial. The Senate is not scheduled to reconvene until Tuesday. The only way it can come back early for a trial would be if the leaders of both parties agreed for an emergency session. If the House does impeach President Trump today, the Senate would have to hold a trial to either acquit or convict him. Joe Biden will take the oath to be the nation's 46th President on January 20th, meaning a Senate trial will likely take place after the President has left the Oval Office.