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US House of Representatives greenlights impeachment against Trump

US President Donald Trump is convinced that he will be fully exonerated in the Senate in line with the impeachment procedure, according to the White House press service

© House TV via REUTERS

WASHINGTON, December 19. /TASS/. The United States House of Representatives has greenlighted the impeachment process against President Donald Trump, by approving two charges against the incumbent head of state.

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On Wednesday, the US House of Representatives voted to approve two articles of impeachment against President Trump: abuse of power and obstruction of Congress. The vote on Article One accusing Trump of abuse of power was 230-197 in favor, with one vote of ‘present’ in abstention. Later, the vote on Article Two accusing Trump of obstruction of Congress was 229-198 in favor, with one vote of ‘present’ in abstention.

White House response

US President Donald Trump is convinced that he will be fully exonerated in the Senate in line with the impeachment procedure, the White House press service said in a statement.

"The President is confident the Senate will restore regular order, fairness, and due process, all of which were ignored in the House proceedings," the White House said. "He is prepared for the next steps and confident that he will be fully exonerated. President Trump will continue to work tirelessly to address the needs and priorities of the American people, as he has since the day he took office."

"Today marks the culmination in the House of one of the most shameful political episodes in the history of our Nation," the White House said in a statement. "Without receiving a single Republican vote, and without providing any proof of wrongdoing, Democrats pushed illegitimate articles of impeachment against the President through the House of Representatives."

"Democrats have chosen to proceed on this partisan basis in spite of the fact that the President did absolutely nothing wrong. Indeed, weeks of hearings have proved that he did nothing wrong," the statement continues.

The White House went on to castigate the Democratic Party saying, "their boundless animus for President Trump fuels their desire to nullify the 2016 election results, and improperly influence the 2020 election."

The indictment hammered out as a result of the Legal Committee’s investigation, will be transferred to the Senate for trial, where it will be presided over by the Chief Justice of the US Supreme Court. In this case, the House of Representatives actually acts as a party to the prosecution, while the Senate plays the role of a jury.

For the impeachment to be sustained, at least two-thirds of the senators are required to vote in favor (at least 67). For this reason, given the Senate’s current lineup, the probability of Trump being removed from office is virtually next to zero. Right now, the Republicans (based on the results of the November 2018 midterm elections) have 53 out of 100 seats in the upper chamber of the United States Congress.

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