The 2020 U.S. presidential election was held on Tue. Nov. 3 and On that same night President Trump declared himself the victor claiming “If you count the legal votes I easily win…if you count the illegal votes they can try to steal the election from us.” Following three tense days it was announced that Joseph R. Biden and Kamala Harris had actually won and by a margin of about seven million votes.
Attorney General William Barr and the courts of several states have asserted that there is absolutely no evidence to support claims of widespread voter and election fraud. Even some of Trump’s Former allies, including Brad Raffensperrger (Georgia Secretary of State) and Gabriel Sterling (Trump voter) have denounced his claims as “fantastical, unreasonable, and lacking factual reality” according to a recent 60 minutes interview.
On wed. Jan. 6 2021, the same day that Congress was certifying the results of the election, President Trump and his personal attorney Rudy Giuliani among others held a rally in Washington DC. At the rally, President Trump alleged that the election was “rigged” and called on Vice President Mike Pence to “do the right thing” claiming that if he does “we win the election.” Addedly, Guiliani demanded a “trial by combat” to settle the election. The audience absorbed each and every word that was spoken at the rally and before it concluded they began making their way to the U.S. Capitol where the count was occurring.
According to the New York Times, the mob violently overwhelmed the police and breached the buildings outer perimeter. Then, they broke the three additional barricades forcing officers back. Eventually, the mob broke into the building and Congress was forced to stop counting and take refuge any way that they could. It took three hours for the sergeant-at-arms to declare the building secure.
The count continued on through the night and early into the next morning with many congressmen/women calling for President Donald Trump’s impeachment. On Jan. 10 The New York Times reported that “Speaker Nancy Pelosi said that the House would formally call on Vice President Mike Pence to invoke the 25th Amendment to strip President Trump of his power and move to impeach the president if Pence refused.” The 25th amendment “provides the procedures for replacing the president in the event of death, removal, resignation, or incapacitation” as stated by Cornell Law School,
On Mon. Jan 11, an article of impeachment was introduced for “high crimes and misdemeanors” according to the released article of impeachment document And on Wed. Jan 13. President Trump was impeached for the second time.
The Senate majority leader, Mitch McConnell, indicated that he had wanted to see the article of impeachment proposed by House Democrats on Wed. but would not agree to immediately move to begin trial in the Senate.
Article by Kennedy Nieves from Winston Churchill High School
Photo by May Pham of Walter Johnson High School