US President Donald Trump impeached.

With the House of Representatives voting in favour of his impeachment today, US President Donald Trump has registered his name in history, albeit for a reason he would like not to be associated with. With today’s impeachment vote, Donald Trump has become only the third president in 240 years of US history to be impeached.

The Democratic-led House passed the abuse of power article of impeachment on a largely party-line 230-197 vote. The House then proceeded with a vote on the second article of impeachment charging him with obstruction of Congress. The second article was passed by a 229-198 vote.

Democrats led Wednesday night’s voting, framed in what many said was their duty to protect the Constitution and uphold the nation’s system of checks and balances. Republicans stood by their party’s leader, who has frequently tested the bounds of civic norms. Trump called the whole affair a “witch hunt,” a “hoax” and a “sham,” and sometimes all three.

Donald Trump faced impeachment on two grounds:

(1) He is accused of abusing his office by asking Ukraine to start corruption investigations against Joe Biden, a former US vice-president who is also the leading Democratic contender in the 2020 US Presidential election. This in effect means trying to influence the election by pressuring a foreign country to investigate his rival candidate and smear his image;

(2) Donald Trump is accused of obstructing Congress from investigating this case.

(The two charges are explained in details below)

DONALD TRUMP’S REACTION BEFORE IMPEACHMENT

Donald Trump, who began Wednesday tweeting his anger at the proceedings, then flew to Battle Creek, Michigan, for a political rally.

He pumped his fist before an enthusiastic crowd, boasted of “tremendous support” in the Republican Party and said, “By the way, it doesn’t feel like I’m being impeached.”

As the debate unfolded, Trump on Twitter called the proceedings “AN ASSAULT ON AMERICA” and on his party.

A day before House of Representative voted in favour of his impeachment, Donald Trump wrote a strong-worded letter to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. In the letter, Donald Trump said the impeachment proceedings against him are a “total sham”.

Donald Trump accused Nancy Pelosi of engaging in “perversion of justice” by allowing the impeachment proceedings.

Denouncing the investigation, Trump said it is an “attempted coup” and said the Democrats are doing it to undo the 2016 US Presidential election when he defeated Democrat Hillary Clinton.

Meanwhile, on Tuesday, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi wrote a letter to all 232 Democratic members and urged them to abide by the constitution. The letter said: “Very sadly, the facts have made clear that President Donald Trump abused his power for his own personal, political benefit and that he obstructed Congress as he demanded that he is above accountability, above the Constitution and above the American people.”

EXPLAINED: CHARGES DONALD TRUMP FACES

Abuse of power:

The first charge that Donald Trump faces is that he abused his power. In the present context (i.e. impeachment), abuse of power means that as President of the United States of America, Donald Trump used the immense powers vested in his office for personal benefit.

According to the US Constitution, a President can be removed from office on grounds of “treason, bribery, or other high crimes and misdemeanours”.

Though going by letter of the law, ‘abuse of power’ per se is not an impeachable offence, however, legal scholars have opined that the intent of the founders of the United States of America was that the phrase “other high crimes and misdemeanours” broadly encompasses abuse of power, Reuters said in a report.