Though the impeachment resolution was widely expected to secure enough votes to pass the House — setting up a Senate trial in the coming weeks — the number of Republicans who voted in favor of the charge made history.
The final vote in favor of impeachment was 232-197, with 10 Republicans breaking from their party in order to denounce Trump’s role in the riot that left five people dead after throngs of people overwhelmed police to breach the congressional chambers as lawmakers fled.
Though Trump eventually called for the mob to go home and be peaceful, he also expressed sympathy with the “very special” rioters whom he said he loved.
He also warned on Twitter that “these are the things and events that happen …. Remember this day forever!” (As the House voted Wednesday, he issued a new statement denouncing violence.)
Donald Trump on Jan. 12, 2021.MANDEL NGAN/AFP via Getty
Trump waspreviously impeached in December 2019on charges of abuse of power and obstruction of Congress related to his Ukraine scandal, though no Republican members of the House voted in favor of his impeachment then.
Not so with the second impeachment. Now the only president twice impeached, Trump is also the only president to see so many members of his same party vote against him — even as he insisted he acted appropriately.
Below, a look at the Republicans who voted in favor of impeachment the second time around.
Liz Cheney.Tom Williams/getty
Liz Cheney
Cheney, a Wyoming lawmaker and the daughter of former Vice President Dick Cheney,announced her intentionto vote in favor of impeachment on Tuesday.
“Much more will become clear in coming days and weeks, but what we know now is enough,“said Cheney, 54, who is the chair of the House Republican Conference and the No. 3 Republican in the House. “The President of the United States summoned this mob, assembled the mob, and lit the flame of this attack. Everything that followed was his doing. None of this would have happened without the President.”
John Katko.zach D Roberts/Getty Images
John Katko
In astatement issued Tuesday, the ranking member of the House Committee on Homeland Security said Trump’s role in last week’s violence could not be overlooked. “It cannot be ignored that President Trump encouraged this insurrection – both on social media ahead of January 6th, and in his speech that day,” Katko, 58, said, adding that for the president to face no consequences would be “a direct threat to the future of our democracy.”
Rep. Adam Kinzinger.Ismail Hakki Demir/Getty Images
Adam Kinzinger
Kinzinger, 42,announced his plansto vote for the article of impeachment the night prior to the House vote, saying: “There is no doubt in my mind that the President of the United States broke his oath of office and incited this insurrection.”
Trump, the Illinois Republican announced, had abused his position, using it to “attack the Legislative.”
Kinzinger, who has criticized Trump before, continued: “So in assessing the articles of impeachment brought before the House, I must consider: if these actions—the Article II branch inciting a deadly insurrection against the Article I branch—are not worthy of impeachment, then what is an impeachable offense?”
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Fred Upton
In a nod to the importance of the proceeding, Uptontweeted a screenshotof the oath of office as he cast his vote.
Jaime Herrera Beutler
Speaking on the House floor Wednesday, the Illinois lawmakersaid, “I’m not afraid of losing my job.”
“Truth sets us free from fear … My vote to impeach our sitting president is not a fear-based decision,” said Beutler, 42. “I am not choosing a side. I’m choosing truth. It’s the only way to defeat fear.”
Dan Newhouse
The 65-year-old Washington representative issued astatementon Wednesday strongly condemning those who participated in last week’s riot and announcing his intent to vote in favor of impeachment.
“This is a pivotal and solemn moment in our country’s history. I wholeheartedly believe our nation — and the system of government it was founded upon — may well be in jeopardy if we do not rise to this occasion … Turning a blind eye to this brutal assault on our Republic is not an option,” his statement read.
Anthony Gonzalez
Ohio Rep. Gonzalez became becomes the eighth GOP House member to back impeachment on Wednesday,releasing a statementas he cast his vote.
Peter Meijer
The 33-year-old freshman lawmaker from Michigan has stronglycondemnedthe attacks and, earlier this week said the presidentshould resignas his actions showed he was “unfit for office.”
In astatementissued to coincide with his yes vote, Meijer saidit was"not a victory.”
“It isn’t a victory for my party, and it isn’t the victory the Democrats might think it is … With a heavy heart, I will vote to impeach President Donald J. Trump,” he said.
David Valadao
In a tweet sent around the time he cast his vote, Wednesday the California lawmaker said Trump was, “without question, a driving force in the catastrophic events that took place on January 6.”
Valadao, 43, was also critical of the vote to impeach the president (who has just a week remaining in his term), calling it a “rushed political stunt.”
Still he voted yes, writing onTwitter: “I have to go with my gut and vote my conscience … It’s time to put country over politics.”
Tom Rice
Rice had tweeted shortly after the Jan. 6 insurrection began to unfold,writing: “Where is the President!? He must ask people to disperse and restore calm now.”
source: people.com
