Republicans Also Support Impeachment, Forcing Trump to Back Down

10 Lawmakers Support, McConnell Hints at Possible Backing as Senate GOP Leader
Unlikely to Pass Before Trump’s Term Ends
Trump Criticizes Violence, Not Impeachment
Pelosi Appears Again in Mourning Attire

[Asia Economy New York=Correspondent Baek Jong-min] U.S. President Donald Trump faced the situation of an impeachment resolution being passed just one week before the end of his term. Although it appears that President Trump will complete his term under the protection of the Republican Party, the outlook does not seem very bright.

Nancy Pelosi, Speaker of the House, is holding up the impeachment articles against President Trump that she signed.
[Image source=Reuters Yonhap News]

◇ Now the focus shifts to the Senate = Around the vote on the 13th (local time), a notable point was the emergence of a significant number of anti-Trump lawmakers within the Republican Party. Initially, seven Republican lawmakers, including Liz Cheney, the third-ranking member of the party, expressed support for impeachment, but the number increased to 10 by the time of the vote. This sharply contrasts with the December 2019 impeachment vote when the Republican Party was united with no defections. Political media Axios reported, "The House's second impeachment of President Trump was the most bipartisan in U.S. history," adding, "More members of the president's own party supported the impeachment than ever before." Of course, the fact that the majority of Republican lawmakers still opposed impeachment can also be interpreted as a sign that President Trump's support base remains substantial.

The final judgment on the impeachment resolution will be made in the Senate. Two-thirds of the 100 senators must vote in favor for President Trump's impeachment to be confirmed. The Democratic Party remains cautious about handling President Trump's impeachment in the Senate alongside President-elect Joe Biden's inauguration. CNN also reported that the Democrats have not yet finalized the schedule.

Mitch McConnell, the Republican Senate Majority Leader, also stated in a press release immediately after the impeachment resolution passed, "Considering rules, procedures, and precedents, it is unlikely that the Senate will reach a conclusion before next week's inauguration of President-elect Biden." Leader McConnell has maintained the position that the Senate cannot convene during President Trump's term despite pressure from the Democrats.

However, it is noteworthy that in a memo he sent to Republican lawmakers that day, he said, "There is a lot of speculation in the media, but I have not made a final decision on how I will vote." He also added, "If the legal arguments regarding impeachment are presented to the Senate, I intend to listen carefully."

U.S. media interpreted this as Leader McConnell indicating that he might handle President Trump's impeachment even after the fact and could possibly support impeachment. This is seen as a significant change, considering that earlier last year, Leader McConnell had vigorously blocked the Senate's approval of President Trump's impeachment. If he turns to support impeachment, there is speculation that Republican senators might also vote in favor.

◇ Political life at stake... belated reflection = If impeachment is confirmed even after leaving office, President Trump's political life will effectively end. If impeachment is confirmed in the Senate with half of the senators voting in favor, President Trump will lose the right to hold public office. In that case, he will not be able to run in the 2024 presidential election. His influence within the Republican Party, which has changed under the Trump faction over the past four years, will inevitably diminish.

Recognizing this situation, President Trump responded by criticizing violence rather than rebutting the impeachment. In a White House statement after the impeachment resolution, he said, "I oppose any violence, illegality, and property damage. I hope all Americans cooperate to ease tensions."

In a separate video, President Trump said, "My true supporters should not support political violence," and "I have instructed federal agencies to use all necessary resources to maintain order during the transfer of power." This contrasts with his heated criticism of Democratic House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and the Democrats during the House impeachment vote in 2019.

◇ Pelosi dons mourning attire again = The vote was conducted under tight security. Thousands of National Guard troops were deployed inside the Capitol. Korean-American Representative Andy Kim commented, "This is the first time since the Civil War that so many soldiers have been inside the Capitol. It raises questions about what went wrong and how it can be fixed."

Speaker Pelosi attracted attention by appearing in the same black "mourning fashion" as during the first impeachment in 2019. After the impeachment resolution passed, Speaker Pelosi emphasized that the president is not above the law.

On the same day, New York City canceled contracts with companies owned by President Trump for the Central Park skating rink and carousel.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.