House delivers article of impeachment against Trump

The House of Representatives delivered to the Senate an article of impeachment against former President Trump on Monday evening.

Video Transcript

- With the permission of the Senate, I will now read the article of impeachment. House Resolution 24 in the House of Representatives of the United States. January 13, 2021. Resolved that Donald John Trump, President of the United States, is impeached for high crimes and misdemeanors, and that the following article of impeachment be exhibited to the United States Senate.

Article of impeachment exhibited by the House of Representatives of the United States of America in the name of itself and of the people of the United States of America against Donald John Trump, President of the United States of America, in maintenance and support of its impeachment against him for high crimes and misdemeanors.

Article one, incitement of insurrection. The Constitution provides that the House of Representatives shall have the sole power of impeachment and the president should be removed from office on impeachment for and conviction of treason, bribery, or other high crimes and misdemeanors.

Further, section three of the 14th Amendment to the Constitution prohibits any person who has, quote, "engaged in insurrection or rebellion against the United States from holding any office under the United States," unquote.

In his conduct while President of the United States and in violation of his constitutional oath faithfully to execute the Office of the President of the United States and to the best of his ability preserve, protect, and defend the Constitution of the United States and in violation of his constitutional duty to take care that the laws be faithfully executed, Donald John Trump engaged in high crimes and misdemeanors by inciting violence against the government of the United States.

In that, on January 6, 2021, pursuant to the 12th Amendment to the Constitution of the United States, the vice president of the United States, the House of Representatives, and the Senate met at the United States Capitol for a joint session of Congress to count the votes of the electoral college.

In the months preceding the joint session, President Trump repeatedly issued false statements asserting that the presidential election results were the product of widespread fraud and should not be accepted by the American people or certified by state or federal officials.