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Can President Trump be removed from office or banned from politics altogether? Trump impeachment: When will he go on trial in the Senate?
(2 days later)
Phone footage reveals chaotic scenes inside US Capitol President Trump returned to Twitter to post the address
Donald Trump has been impeached - again. Donald Trump has been impeached - again. So what now?
The president has become the first president in US history to be impeached twice, after being charged with "incitement of insurrection" over last week's deadly storming of Congress. The president has become the first in US history to twice suffer such ignominy - impeachment means to be charged with misconduct by the lower house of US Congress.
The House of Representatives accused Mr Trump of encouraging violence with his false claims of election fraud. The Democratic-controlled House of Representatives accused Mr Trump of encouraging violence with his false claims of election fraud and egging on a mob to storm the Capitol on 6 January.
Mr Trump, a Republican, now faces trial in the upper chamber, the Senate, but not before he leaves office next Wednesday, when Democrat Joe Biden will be sworn in. Some Republicans also backed impeachment in Wednesday's vote.
So what happens now? What happens next?
Impeachment Mr Trump, a Republican, now faces trial in the upper chamber, the Senate.
To impeach means to bring charges in Congress that will form the basis for a trial. It's important to note this is a political process, rather than a criminal one. A two-thirds majority in the Senate means a conviction and removal from office.
The US constitution states a president "shall be removed from office on impeachment for, and conviction of, treason, bribery, or other high crimes or misdemeanours". But the president is due to leave office anyway next Wednesday, when Democrat Joe Biden will be sworn in.
A vote was held on Wednesday in the House of Representatives. Ten of Mr Trump's Republican party joined Democrats to impeach him by 232-197. So it's uncharted territory.
Trump's first impeachment, from beginning to end OK, when is the trial?
The president has been impeached once before over allegations he sought help from Ukraine to boost his chances of re-election. The Senate acquitted him of these charges. That's still up in the air.
Now Mr Trump has become the first president in history to be impeached twice. The next stage of this process is for Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi to send the article of impeachment - the charge of incitement laid out and approved by the lower chamber - to the Senate.
Now that impeachment charges have been brought to the House and passed in a vote, the case is passed to the Senate, where a two-thirds vote is necessary to convict the president and remove him from office. The earliest the upper chamber could receive it would be Tuesday because that's when they are next in session.
It is unclear if Democrats will get those numbers in the Senate, where they only hold half of the seats. But that's just a day before President Trump leaves office.
Americans 'shocked' and 'disgusted' by riots Can he be tried after he leaves?
A visual guide to the Congress riots It's never happened before so it's untested and the US Constitution doesn't say.
The US Air Force veteran who lost her life in riots Impeachment proceedings against President Richard Nixon were ended when he quit in 1974.
If Mr Trump is convicted by the Senate, lawmakers could hold another vote to block him from running for elected office again - which he has indicated he planned to do in 2024. This could be the biggest consequence of this impeachment. So Mr Trump could take his case to the Supreme Court, claiming his trial was unconstitutional.
Some lower ranked officials have been impeached after leaving office.
The current leader in the Senate, a Republican, and his successor, a Democrat, are both preparing for a trial.
What happens to impeached presidents?
What impeachment means for Trump, Biden and America
Would Mr Trump be convicted in the Senate?
Democrats only hold half the 100 seats so they would require 17 Republicans to vote against their own president.
That's a tall order from a party that has largely remained publicly loyal to Mr Trump.
But 10 Republicans in the House supported impeachment and a couple of senators have indicated they are open to it.
Even Mitch McConnell, who leads the Republican Party in the upper chamber, says he has not yet made up his mind how he will vote.
At the Capitol: Trump's Christian supporters
'Like a medieval battle': The riots frontline
Could Trump run for president again if convicted?
If he is convicted by the Senate, lawmakers could hold another vote to block him from running for elected office again - which he had indicated he planned to do in 2024.
This could be the biggest consequence of this impeachment.
If he is convicted, a simple majority of senators would be needed to block Mr Trump from holding "any office of honour, trust or profit under the United States".If he is convicted, a simple majority of senators would be needed to block Mr Trump from holding "any office of honour, trust or profit under the United States".
How did Republicans defend Trump - and who voted to impeach?
So 50 senators plus a casting vote from Vice-President Kamala Harris would be enough to damn Mr Trump's hopes of political power.
This could be appealing to Republicans hoping to run for president in the future and those who want Mr Trump out of the party.This could be appealing to Republicans hoping to run for president in the future and those who want Mr Trump out of the party.
However, none of this will come during Mr Trump's remaining week in office. What about other benefits?
Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell said that there is "no chance that a fair or serious trial could conclude before President-elect Biden is sworn in" and that it "would best serve the interests of the nation if Congress focused on a safe and orderly transition of power". There has been talk of Mr Trump losing benefits granted to his predecessors under the 1958 Former Presidents Act, which include a pension and health insurance, and potentially a lifetime security detail at taxpayers' expense.
There has been talk of Mr Trump losing benefits granted to his predecessors under the 1958 Former Presidents Act, which include a pension and health insurance, and potentially a lifetime security detail at taxpayers' expense. However, Mr Trump will likely keep these benefits if he is convicted after leaving office. However, Mr Trump is likely to keep these benefits if he is convicted after leaving office.
Senior House Democrats have said that the party may choose not to send any articles of impeachment to the Senate until after Mr Biden's first 100 days in office. Could the trial be delayed for weeks?
That would allow Mr Biden to confirm his new cabinet and kick-start key policies including tackling coronavirus - something that would have to wait if the Senate had already received the impeachment articles. One senior House Democrat had suggested that the party may choose not to send any articles of impeachment to the Senate until after Mr Biden's first 100 days in office.
Read more: Impeachment: A very simple guide (Written December 2019) That would allow Mr Biden to use the Senate to confirm his new cabinet and kick-start key policies including tackling coronavirus.
But Mrs Pelosi has indicated she would like a speedy trial.
And Mr Biden says he would be open to the Senate operating half and half on impeachment and other business like approving his team.
With the Democrats taking control of the Senate on Wednesday, that would appear to be a certainty.
Did Trump's words at rally incite the riot?
Could Trump pardon himself?Could Trump pardon himself?
Media reports, quoting unnamed sources, say Mr Trump has suggested to aides he is considering granting a pardon to himself in the final days of his presidency.Media reports, quoting unnamed sources, say Mr Trump has suggested to aides he is considering granting a pardon to himself in the final days of his presidency.
The president already faces numerous investigations, including New York State inquiries into whether he misled tax authorities, banks or business partners. If he did, it would not help him out of this particular spot.
Questions mount over security failure It would absolve him from any federal crimes he may have committed in office, but would not cover a conviction in the Senate in what is a political process.
Who stormed the Capitol? The president already faces numerous criminal investigations, including New York State inquiries into whether he misled tax authorities, banks or business partners.
So could the president pardon himself? There is no precedent for a US leader issuing such a pardon.
The short answer is we do not know, given the short wording but broad application of the constitution, and the fact there is no precedent for a US leader issuing such a pardon.
'Treason, traitors and thugs' - the words lawmakers used to describe Capitol riot
Some legal experts have previously said no, citing an opinion issued by the Justice Department days before Richard Nixon's resignation that he could not pardon himself "under the fundamental rule that no-one may be a judge in his own case".Some legal experts have previously said no, citing an opinion issued by the Justice Department days before Richard Nixon's resignation that he could not pardon himself "under the fundamental rule that no-one may be a judge in his own case".
Others though say the constitution does not preclude a self-pardon.Others though say the constitution does not preclude a self-pardon.
Read more: Could the US president pardon himself? (Written July 2017) Could the US president pardon himself? (Written July 2017)
How likely is any of this? What was his first impeachment for again?
With the president impeached for a second time, now all eyes are on the Senate. That was over his dealings with Ukraine, although he denied any wrongdoing.
The question is whether the required two thirds of the Senate would vote to remove the president. At least 17 Republican senators would have to vote for conviction. He was accused of pressing the country's leader to open an investigation into Mr Biden, then his emerging rival for the White House, and his son Hunter.
According to the New York Times, as many as 20 Senate Republicans are open to convicting the president, but the timeline of when a trial could be held is not known. Trump's first impeachment, from beginning to end
Mr Trump appeared to use military aid as leverage. He was impeached by the House and cleared by the Republican-controlled Senate.
Hang on, why was Trump impeached again?