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President Trump Is Impeached A Second Time

We discuss the historic second impeachment of President Donald Trump. [Andrew Cline/shutterstock]
We discuss the historic second impeachment of President Donald Trump. [Andrew Cline/shutterstock]

History was made yesterday afternoon, when the House of Representatives voted to impeach the President of the United States. For Donald Trump, it is the second time being impeached, a first for any president.

Unlike the first impeachment in December of 2019, when no Republican members voted in favor of the charges of abuse of power and obstruction of Congress, this time it was a bipartisan majority for the charge of inciting an insurrection, following the attack on the Capitol last week. 

The final vote was 232 to 197, with 10 Republicans voting to impeach, including a suprise vote from Ohio Republican Anthony Gonzalez, representing the 16th district which includes parts of Cuyahoga, Medina, Stark and others. 

In her opening remarks of the impeachment debate, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi laid out the stakes of this vote, calling the President a "clear and present danger to the nation."

Republican Congressman Jim Jordan from Ohio, one of Trump's most ardent supporters, took the lead in the argument against impeachment. A couple hours after the vote, the President released a video from the White House that addressed the violence from last week's attack, and the armed protests planned for this weekend. But Trump made no mention of having just been impeached or any role he might have played in directing his supporters to attack. 

So what happens now? Last impeachment, the President was acquitted by the Senate the following February. But Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has already declined to bring the Senate back early to accept an article of impeachment, meaning the trial wouldn't take place until Trump is an ex-President. 

With less than a week until the inauguration of President-Elect Joe Biden and the country, is there any chance for unity, as Biden pledged to achieve in his acceptance speech? On The Sound of Ideas, we'll discuss the impeachment vote and its significance with two political experts.

Then, we share a conversation with New York Times reporter, Jennifer Steinhauer about her recent book, The Firsts, which chronicles the most recent class of women to enter Congress. We also ask her about the recent events on Capitol Hill. 

- Danielle Sarver Coombs, Ph.D., Professor, School of Journalism and Mass Communication, Kent State University
- Matt Cox, Founder, President, Capitol Partners
- Jennifer Steinhauer, Reporter for The New York Times, and author, "The Firsts: The Inside Story of the Women Reshaping Congress"

Drew Maziasz is a coordinating producer for the "Sound of Ideas" and also serves as the show’s technical producer.