Every single LGBT+ House representative played a crucial role in impeaching Donald Trump for a historic second time
President Donald Trump walks to the White House residence on 12 January. (Getty/Drew Angerer)
Every single LGBT+ member of US House of Representatives played a crucial role in impeaching Donald Trump for the second time after the Capitol riots.
The impeachment measure was introduced in the House of Representatives on Monday (11 January), charging Trump with “incitement of insurrection” over the extremist riots at the US Capitol last week.
On Wednesday (13 January), the House voted 232 to 197 to impeach Trump, with four representatives not taking part in the vote.
Gay Rhode Island representative David Cicilline was the lead sponsor of the articles of impeachment, but each of the eight other LGBT+ House representatives also played their part, voting to make Trump the only president in US history to be impeached twice.
Alongside Cicilline, Chris Pappas of New Hampshire, Sean Patrick Maloney of New York, Mark Pocan of Wisconsin, Angie Craig of Minnesota, Mark Takano of California, Sharice Davids of Kansas and Mondaire Jones and Ritchie Torres of New York all voted to impeach the president. Jones was also co-lead of the resolution.
Every Democrat in the House voted with them, as well as 10 Republican representatives, making it the most bipartisan impeachment in history.
Ahead of the vote, Davids wrote on Twitter: “The attack on our nation’s Capitol was a direct attack on our democracy, abetted by the president. He is a clear and present danger in the White House and must be removed.”
Thank you to every person who checked in on me and my team over the past week.
The attack on our nation's Capitol was a direct attack on our democracy, abetted by the President. He is a clear and present danger in the White House and must be removed. https://t.co/JDUShjqZPK
— Sharice Davids (@sharicedavids) January 13, 2021
On Wednesday evening, Maloney added: “This is a sad and historic day. It’s hard to imagine a more serious betrayal of the oath of office than to incite a violent attack on the Capitol.
“I am proud of my colleagues for holding Donald Trump accountable and for standing up for what’s right tonight.”
This is a sad & historic day.
It's hard to imagine a more serious betrayal of the oath of office than to incite a violent attack on the Capitol.
I am proud of my colleagues for holding Donald Trump accountable & for standing up for what's right tonight. pic.twitter.com/58OGQA7QEY— Sean Patrick Maloney (@RepSeanMaloney) January 14, 2021
According to Advocate, Cicilline said in a statement: “Failing to act would set an irresponsibly dangerous precedent for future presidents who are about to leave office.
“Further, there can be no healing of the divisions in our country without justice for the man most responsible for this horrific insurrection. The president must be held accountable.
“That can happen only by impeaching him for a second time and convicting him in the Senate.
“A conviction that would allow Congress to prohibit him from ever serving in federal office again. Trump becomes more of a threat to public safety by the moment.”
Mitch McConnell, who has just one more week of being Senate majority leader, has refused to expedite Trump’s trial and said that it will not start before 19 January when the Senate reconvenes. Joe Biden will be inaugurated on 20 January.
Although an unlikely two-thirds majority is required to convict Trump, the Senate could still vote by simple majority to ban him from running for office again and the Justice Department could decide to bring criminal charges.
