Two Michigan Republicans and all seven of the state’s Democratic representatives voted Wednesday to impeach President Donald Trump for inciting an insurrection at the nation’s Capitol one week earlier.
The U.S. House impeached Trump for the second time by a 232-197 vote, charging him with incitement of insurrection. Michigan representatives said Trump must be held accountable for misleading supporters about his loss to President-elect Joe Biden and encouraging protesters to overturn the election, resulting in a violent riot as Congress certified the election on Jan. 6.
Republicans argued that impeaching Trump one week before Biden will be inaugurated on Jan. 20 would further divide a polarized country. Democrats said Trump must be held accountable for violating his oath of office and undermining the Constitution.
“There must be consequences for his reckless and dangerous behavior,” said U.S. Rep. Haley Stevens, D-Rochester Hills. “There is no unity without accountability.”
U.S. Reps. Fred Upton, R-St. Joseph, and Peter Meijer, R-Grand Rapids, said they decided to support impeachment when it became clear to them that Trump showed no remorse for his role in provoking the attack. They cited Trump’s statement that his reaction to the riots was “totally appropriate” after expressing admiration for the mob.
Trump encouraged his supporters to “fight like hell” against the election results in a speech near the White House on Jan. 6. He also told the crowd to march peacefully on the Capitol.
Ten Republicans joined all Democrats in the U.S. House to impeach Trump. The article of impeachment passed Wednesday states Trump represents a threat to national security, democracy and the Constitution is allowed to remain in office.
“In all this, President Trump gravely endangered the security of the United States and its institutions of government,” the resolution states. “He threatened the integrity of the democratic system, interfered with the peaceful transition of power, and imperiled a coequal branch of government. He thereby betrayed his trust as president, to the manifest injury of the people of the United States.”
Now it’s up to the Republican-majority U.S. Senate to conduct an impeachment trial to determine whether Trump is guilty of the charge levied against him by the House. The Senate is not scheduled to be back in session until Jan. 19, one day before Biden’s inauguration.
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell released a statement affirming that the trial will take place during the Biden administration. Michigan’s two Democratic senators said they support a conviction.
Representatives shared their experience fleeing the Capitol while insurrectionists broke into the building and clashed with police. Five people died in the chaos, including a Capitol Police officer who was attacked by protesters, and a woman who was shot by police. A second Capitol Police officer died by suicide after the riots.
National Guard troops were stationed inside the Capitol to reinforce security while the House of Representatives debated impeachment.
Rioters intended to disrupt the process of certifying Electoral College votes after Trump called on Vice President Mike Pence to violate the Constitution and discredit the result of several swing states that Biden won. Protesters chanted “hang Mike Pence” after the vice president announced he would not prevent electoral votes from being counted in any states.
When Congress reconvened after insurrectionists were cleared from the Capitol, U.S. Reps. Jack Bergman, R-Watersmeet; Tim Walberg, R-Tipton, and Lisa McClain opposed the certification of electoral votes in Arizona and Pennsylvania.
Bergman, Walberg and McClain voted against impeaching Trump Wednesday, along with U.S. Rep. John Moolenaar, R-Midland.
In a statement, Bergman said denounced riots and everyone who participated in them but said the House moved too quickly to impeach Trump.
“Today’s vote to impeach the President, without even a single hearing, is unprecedented and simply more of the same divisiveness - making no effort to heal our wounds,” Bergman said in a statement. “It’s time for our nation to move forward to find solutions to our problems, continue our efforts to protect our liberties, and build on our collective successes.”
U.S. Rep. Rashida Tlaib, D-Detroit, said Republicans have encouraged and benefitted from Trump’s tactics and called for members of Congress to be held accountable for inciting riots by contesting the election. Tlaib also called Trump a “tyrant” and “racist-in-chief.”
“As white nationalists, unhinged conspiracy theorists, and other Trump loyalists continue to plot armed insurrection on social media platforms and the twice-impeached president insists he’s done nothing wrong, we cannot wait and hope a peaceful transition of power happens on January 20th,” Tlaib said in a statement. “Trump and his supporters have already displayed that peace is nowhere in their minds. It’s time for the Senate to act and remove Donald Trump from office.”
Meanwhile, law enforcement officials are looking ahead to additional protests being planned by anti-government extremists. Michigan’s Capitol is receiving heightened security measures, including a six-foot fence that will be installed Friday, to protect against possible armed protests on Jan. 17 through Jan. 20.
The president issued a statement urging protesters not to engage in violence while the House debated impeachment Wednesday. The statement was read on the House floor by U.S. Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio.
“In light of reports of more demonstrations, I urge that there must be NO violence, NO lawbreaking and NO vandalism of any kind,” Trump said. “That is not what I stand for, and it is not what America stands for. I call on ALL Americans to help ease tensions and calm tempers. Thank you.”
Moolenaar signed a bipartisan letter calling on Trump to address the nation and urge all Americans not to disrupt the transfer of power.
“Radical groups have posted videos, statements, and graphics calling for people to return to the Capitol to, once again, forcefully contest the presidential election results and disrupt our democratic process,” Moolenaar said. “We are deeply concerned that this dangerous propaganda, left unchecked, will lead to mass violence and put lives at risk.”
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