Trump Becomes 1st U.S. President To Be Impeached Twice

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The House of Representatives voted to impeach President Trump for inciting violence. Trump became the first president in U.S. history to be impeached twice.

Transcript

MARY LOUISE KELLY, HOST:

And I'm Mary Louise Kelly in Washington, where exactly one week ago, members of Congress huddled in lockdown for hours as a mob stormed through the Capitol during a riot that left five dead. Today, the U.S. House of Representatives voted to impeach President Donald Trump for his part in inciting the violence.

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NANCY PELOSI: On this vote, the ayes are 232. The nays are 197. The resolution is adopted without objection. The motion to reconsider is laid upon the table.

AILSA CHANG, HOST:

(Inaudible) becomes the first president to be impeached twice. Ten Republicans joined every Democrat in voting to impeach him.

KELLY: For hours, lawmakers took turns making the case for their vote. Democrats, starting with Speaker Nancy Pelosi, focused on the events of last week and President Trump's words.

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PELOSI: We know that the president of the United States incited this insurrection, this armed rebellion against our common country. He must go. He is a clear and present danger to the nation that we all love.

CHANG: Now, many Republicans argued impeachment would further divide the country, and they accused Democrats of inciting violence over the last four years.

KELLY: But a divide has started to appear among their once-united caucus. Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy criticized the president even as he urged his colleagues to vote against impeachment.

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KEVIN MCCARTHY: That doesn't mean the president is free from fault. The president bears responsibility for Wednesday's attack on Congress by mob rioters. He should have immediately denounced the mob when he saw what was unfolding.

KELLY: Then, Representative Jaime Herrera Beutler of Washington is one of the Republicans who voted for impeachment. She pleaded with her colleagues to legislate based on truth rather than fear.

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JAIME HERRERA BEUTLER: My vote to impeach our sitting president is not a fear-based decision. I am not choosing a side. I'm choosing truth. It's the only way to defeat fear. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.