Senate Representative McConal may also approve of 10 lawmakers.
Handling before Trump’s tenure is difficult
Trump only mentions criticism of violence instead of criticism of impeachment
Pelosi also appeared in mourning fashion
[아시아경제 뉴욕=백종민 특파원] U.S. President Donald Trump faced a situation of passing an impeachment prosecution one week before the end of his term. President Trump is expected to end his term amid the republicans’ protection, but the prospects are not so bright.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi is hearing a bill to impeach President Trump signed. [이미지출처=로이터연합뉴스]
◇Now attention is to the Senate= What stands out before and after the vote on the 13th (local time) is that a large number of anti-Trump lawmakers have appeared in the Republican Party as well. Initially, seven Republican lawmakers, including Liz Cheney, the third person in the party, expressed their willingness to impeach, but the vote increased to 10. This contrasts sharply with the fact that in the December 2019 impeachment vote, the Republicans united and there was no single defector. “The House’s second impeachment of President Trump was the most bipartisan in US history,” said political media Axios. “In the party to which the President belongs, more lawmakers have supported the impeachment bill than ever before,” he said. Of course, the still opposition of most Republican lawmakers to impeachment is interpreted as a sign that President Trump’s support base is not easy.
The final judgment on the impeachment proceeding is made in the Senate. Trump’s impeachment is finalized only when two-thirds of 100 senators approve. Democrats are still cautious in handling Trump’s impeachment in the Senate with the inauguration of President-elect Joe Biden. CNN broadcast also said that the Democratic Party has not been able to determine its future schedule.
Republican Senate Representative Mitch McConnell also said in a statement immediately after the impeachment proceedings passed, “considering the rules, procedures and precedents, there is no possibility that the Senate will come to a conclusion before Biden’s inauguration next week. President McConnell has maintained the position that despite the pressure of the Democratic Party, the Senate cannot be held within the term of President Trump.
Dahn’s note to the Republican lawmakers that day, he said, “The press is full of speculative reports, but I haven’t made a final decision on how to vote.” “I will listen to any legal debate (about impeachment) in the Senate,” McConnell said.
In response, the US media interpreted that the presidential representative of McConnell would deal with the impeachment bill of President Trump after his death, and expressed a position in favor of the impeachment. It is evaluated that the fact that the in-house representative McConnell, who completely prevented the Senate’s approval of the impeachment of President Trump at the beginning of last year, made such a statement, is also a big change. Prospects have been raised that if he turns in favor, Republican senators can vote for impeachment.
◇Political life is over… Late reflection = If the impeachment is confirmed even after retirement, President Trump’s political life will virtually end. If the impeachment is confirmed by the Senate and half of the lawmakers approve, President Trump will lose his right to elect public office. In this case, they cannot run for the next presidential election in 2024. The influence in the Republican Party, which has been transformed into a Trump party over the past four years, is bound to be dampened.
Recognizing this situation, President Trump responded by criticizing violence rather than refuting the impeachment. In a statement at the White House after the impeachment resolution, he said, “I oppose any violence, illegal or vandalism. I hope all Americans will cooperate in easing tensions.”
In a separate video, President Trump said, “My true patrons should not support political violence,” he said. “I instructed federal agencies to use all the resources necessary to maintain order during the transfer of power.” This contrasts with how President Trump heated up criticism from Democratic Party Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Democratic Party Chairman Nancy Pelosi during the 2019 House impeachment vote.
◇Another Pelosi in mourning = The vote on this day was held under strict guard. Thousands of state defense forces were deployed within the Capitol. Korean Rep. Andy Kim commented, “This is the first time there have been so many soldiers in the Capitol since the Civil War. I wonder what went wrong and how to fix it.”
Chairman Pelosi drew attention by appearing in the same black’mourning fashion’ as the first impeachment poem in 2019. Chairman Pelosi stressed that the president is not above the law after the impeachment bill was passed.
New York City canceled a contract with a company owned by President Trump on the skating rink and merry-go-round in Central Park.
New York = correspondent Baek Jong-min [email protected]