When will Trump officially be president? Donald Trump was impeached: what next?
Illustration copyright Getty Images
Donald Trump became the third president in US history to be impeached by the House of Representatives. The decision on whether Trump will continue to serve in office will now have to be made by the Senate as early as January 2020.
The abuse of power article received 230 congressional votes for impeachment and 197 votes against.
Article on obstruction of Congress - 229 votes for impeachment and 198 against.
To declare impeachment, it was enough to get 216 votes on any of the two articles of charges.
230-197 Abuse of power
229-198 Opposition to the work of Congress
0 Republicans supported both charges
2 Democrats against the first charge
3 Democrats against the second charge
On the eve of the vote in the House of Representatives, Democrats made it clear that they were not going to give up trying to remove Donald Trump from power. This vote, however, does not mean that the President of the United States will have to leave office, and formal impeachment will not prevent him from being elected to another term.
- Impeachment: Democrats bring two charges against Trump at once
- Impeachment: Democrats filed claims against Trump. What's next?
- Trump's impeachment: how the process works and whether the Democrats will remove him from power
Last Monday, Democrats in Congress published a 658-page report accusing the president of taking bribes and trying to force the Ukrainian president to open an investigation into former US Vice President Joe Biden.
Articles of impeachment
Prior to this, the Congressional Judiciary Committee approved articles of impeachment against the president - abuse of power and obstruction of Congress. The abuse only referred to the conversation between Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky, which took place on July 25 of this year.
During the conversation, the head of the White House asked him to open an investigation into former Vice President Biden. His son Hunter Biden was a member of the board of directors of the Ukrainian state oil and gas company Burisma from 2014 to 2019, and, according to the US President, was involved in corruption schemes in this country.
Illustration copyright Getty Images Image caption On the day of the congressional vote, Trump flew to a pre-Christmas rally for his supporters in Michigan.Joe Biden at that time served as the US administration's commissioner for Ukraine, and, according to Republicans in Congress, was involved in the dismissal of the heads of Ukrainian law enforcement agencies, who were preparing investigations, including against his son on charges of corruption.
Democrats regard these accusations as a call for a foreign country to interfere in the US election process.
In addition, Democrats in Congress charged the US President with obstructing the work of the House of Representatives: the head of the White House prohibited senior administration officials from answering calls from legislators and speaking at committee hearings as part of the impeachment procedure.
"The charges allege that President Trump placed his personal and political interests above the interests of national security and the interests of our fair and free elections... He engaged in wrongdoing that will continue unless we stop it. That is why President Trump must be subjected to impeached and removed from power," says the report of the Congressional Judiciary Committee.
On Tuesday, the House Oversight Committee approved voting rules for impeachment proceedings. However, few doubted that the process would be approved by legislators in Congress: there are nine Democrats on the committee and only four Republicans who oppose impeachment.
How many Democrats refused to vote?
Even before the discussion of impeachment in Congress, two representatives of the Democratic Party publicly stated that they were not going to support the initiative to remove the US President from power.
Jeff Van Drew of New Jersey and Colleen Peterson of Minnesota said they would not support charges against the incumbent. At the beginning of the week, American media reported that after this statement, employees of Congressman Van Drew's office submitted their resignations.
How many Republicans supported impeachment?
Even before Wednesday's meeting began, Democratic leaders called the impeachment of a sitting US president a "vote of conscience," emphasizing that it has the same significance as voting to send American soldiers to war.
Illustration copyright ReutersIn November 2019, Democrats gained control of the House of Representatives by winning the midterm elections. As a result, Trump's opponents ended up with 31 congressional districts that were previously represented by Republicans. There are 233 Democrats and 197 Republicans in the House of Representatives. One seat is occupied by an independent legislator, while four others remain vacant.
However, not a single Republican supported the impeachment procedure. On Monday, two days before the vote, Republican Majority Leader in Congress Kevin McCarthy said that he was not going to deny the president his support, and none of his party comrades would vote for impeachment.
What will the Senate decide?
After a vote in the House of Representatives, the decision is transferred to the Senate, which will finally decide the fate of the US President. According to the Constitution, Congress' impeachment decision has "privileged" status, so the Upper House must set aside all other discussions and consider this initiative first.
At the beginning of the week, the leader of the Democrats in Congress, Chuck Schumer, invited the head of the Republicans in the Senate, Mitch McConnell, to conclude a compromise and agree on an impeachment trial procedure.
According to the Constitution, the Senate must consider charges approved by Congress, and all senators in this process will serve as jury members. In turn, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi is required to appoint lawmakers who will act as prosecutors and prosecution witnesses, and the White House will have the opportunity to send its own lawyers to the hearings.
Who do the Democrats want to call?
On Monday, Democratic leader Chuck Schumer sent a letter to the Senate asking that four prosecution witnesses be called to the hearing - acting White House Chief of Staff Mick Mulvaney, former National Security Adviser John Bolton, Office of Management and Budget official Michael Duffy and an adviser to the current Chief of Staff Robert Blair.
All of them, according to Democrats, were involved in the suspension of military aid to Ukraine in the amount of $391 million.
Illustration copyright Reuters Image caption Speaker of the House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi called Trump a threat to democracy and US national securityOn Tuesday, Mitch McConnell rejected the Democrats' proposal, reiterating that he intends to coordinate all his actions as part of the impeachment proceedings with White House lawyers.
According to the rules, US Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts should preside over the impeachment trial. However, it is not yet clear how long this procedure will take.
In an interview with Fox News last week, Mitch McConnell said he would push for the charges to be heard without calling additional witnesses.
“You know, if you have a sufficient number of votes, and you are confident that the charges have minimal merit, and this is what the president’s lawyers will prefer, you will prefer a short hearing,” he said, answering questions from reporters.
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"Putin is laughing at us." How they voted to impeach TrumpPresident Trump himself also confirmed to reporters that he would prefer a quick trial of his own case in the Senate.
“I’m ready to do whatever they want, it doesn’t mean anything,” he said. “I’m ready to agree to a long process because I want to see the informant (who reported negotiations with the President of Ukraine - BBC note) who is a fraud."
What will happen next?
Republicans in Congress plan to begin considering the charges brought by the House of Representatives as early as January 2020. At the same time, few doubt that the upper house of Congress will completely acquit the president. His opponents need a two-thirds majority in the Senate, but Democrats currently have only 47 lawmakers to 53.
Another concern is the future of US politics. After Trump is impeached, and then the president is acquitted by the Senate, Democrats will have to cooperate with the White House on a whole list of legislative initiatives. In addition, the announcement of impeachment will not prevent the current US President from re-nominating his candidacy for the 2020 elections and taking part in election battles.
How they are going to cooperate with the president after this is not yet known exactly.
"If the president is not held accountable, if my colleagues in the Senate do not live up to their pledges under oath, then our democracy will be at risk," Congressman David Cicilline told the BBC.
DUSHANBE, January 22 – Sputnik. Sunday marked two years since the inauguration of US President Donald Trump, writes RIA Novosti.
Halfway through his four-year term, Trump is at war on all fronts - with the elite of American society and with opposition Democrats, with allies and potential adversaries in the world.
Coming to power, Trump promised to cut taxes and achieve rapid economic growth, “get along” with all countries of the world, defeat terrorists in Syria and throughout the Middle East, radically revise US trade agreements and withdraw from the Paris climate agreement and, finally, build wall along the entire length of the US border with Mexico.
Even Trump's most ardent supporters are unlikely to agree with Trump's claim that he is the most successful president in American history.
At the same time, he has accumulated a lot of fulfilled promises. True, mainly due to the fact that in the first two years both houses of Congress were controlled by Trump’s fellow Republicans.
However, there were also painful failures.
Trump is entering the middle of his presidency amid intense attacks, a record-breaking standoff with Congress over the budget, and special counsel Robert Mueller's endless "Russia investigation" that has literally dominated the American agenda in recent years, making it difficult to talk about any other successes or failures.
The current president also has not improved the situation with rising medical prices, which worries Americans more than Russia, North Korea, Mueller and the elections combined.
And, of course, he did not build a border wall. However, Trump also has a reason to be proud - the economy.
Rise and clouds on the horizon
Trump ran as a business candidate.
He obtained from Congress a sharp reduction in income taxes. And although this did not help bring back trillions of dollars in profits from American corporations from abroad, the business climate did improve, and in the second and third quarters of 2018, economic growth at times exceeded 4% per annum.
Unemployment remains at its lowest level in recent decades. Ordinary Americans did not receive the same benefits as businesses, but they also began to pay less taxes, and this supported consumer demand.
At the same time, Trump did not extend the term of Fed Chairman Janet Yellen and immediately began to conflict with his own nominee for this post, Jerome Powell.
Trump, with good reason, claims that the policy of gradually increasing the interest rate brings down stock indices and harms growth in general.
True, Trump himself had a hand in the stock market's sharp decline in December 2018, de facto organizing a budget crisis over funding for border security.
It is worth noting that the future for the United States is not cloudless: there has not been a decline in GDP for 10 years, since the “Great Recession,” and the cyclical nature of the economy says that sooner or later this will happen.
And Trump here is not only the solution to the problem, but also part of it.
However, the president’s influence on the economy should not be exaggerated: the cyclical nature of economic development is still stronger than Trump, and the colossal US private sector leaves the relatively compact, albeit rich, government far behind.
Skillfully taking advantage of his reputation as an unpredictable politician, Trump successfully extracts concessions.
In particular, he de facto renegotiated the world's largest trade agreement with Canada and Mexico (NAFTA) on slightly more favorable terms. The “war of tariffs” with China is currently being won by the United States - Chinese producers are suffering more than American consumers, although the end of trade negotiations is still far away.
And again, Trump is part of the problem here: no one can rule out that the “tariff war” will finally slow down the Chinese economy so much that it will also affect the United States.
Trump withdrew from the Trans-Pacific Partnership concluded by previous US President Barack Obama, and analysts disagree on whether this move is beneficial for Washington or not.
The energy industry, especially coal, will benefit short-term from the Trump-approved US withdrawal from the Paris climate agreement, but the long-term consequences of global warming threaten the US no less than others.
Isolationist at war
Trump is a kind of political dinosaur: he defends the seemingly extinct ideas of American isolationism.
After the collapse of the USSR, the American political elite was convinced that the United States no longer had and should not have a global competitor in the future, that America was called to world dominance and would always receive large dividends from it.
Thus, in the minds of the American establishment, the United States is the natural arbiter of all disputes, and as a result, it should have the ability to resolve any conflict by force.
This reality has “broken” more than one president.
Barack Obama came with promises to leave Iraq and Afghanistan, but made no progress in this - on the contrary, an attempt to withdraw troops from Iraq turned into an instant expansion of the terrorist group "Islamic State" (ISIS, or IS - banned in Russia), so the United States began to put together coalition to fight ISIS and sent their troops to the powder keg of Syria.
Trump tirelessly bickered with advisers-generals James Mattis, Herbert McMaster and John Kelly, and Secretary of State Rex Tillerson. The advisers convinced us that we needed to “finish what we started” and not abandon our allies.
From Trump's point of view, this only led to endless wars with no hope of victory and trillions in costs.
According to leaks in books and the press, Trump sought withdrawal from Afghanistan at any cost, including at the cost of a big lie - to declare victory and leave, and whatever happens, the main thing is that Americans will not die.
It is for this reason, according to journalist Michael Wolf, that Tillerson called his boss an “idiot.”
By the middle of his term, Trump’s patience had run out, and he, bypassing his advisers, announced the withdrawal of troops from Syria. Of the four mentioned advisers, by that time only Pentagon chief Mattis had not yet resigned, who immediately left his post after Trump’s statement.
Congress is outraged that Trump is withdrawing from Syria and wants to reduce forces in Afghanistan. But this is perhaps the only area where Congress cannot influence Trump - foreign policy and war are de facto the prerogative of the president.
However, under Trump, the United States has actually begun to dismantle the entire system of strategic stability: the issue of withdrawing from the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty under the pretext of Russia’s non-compliance with it has practically been resolved (Moscow denies this).
Trump is also confident that the START III treaty on strategic missiles is disadvantageous for the United States. He is not averse to increasing America's nuclear arsenal significantly - and even Obama, who proposed spending more than a trillion dollars on re-equipment of nuclear forces, pales here.
The new Pentagon report even mentions a system for intercepting missiles with lasers in space - how can one not recall the Strategic Defense Initiative system, conceived under Ronald Reagan.
So Trump is not going to abandon the idea of American dominance and exceptionalism - he simply does not want to shed the blood of American soldiers abroad.
Unpredictable?
Trump has flouted all standards of "presidential behavior," especially in contrast to the cool and grave style of his predecessor Obama.
He deliberately broke down the barriers of what was acceptable and shocked the public, and sometimes caused great fear in people, even the fear of nuclear war.
So, when North Korean leader Kim Jong-un talked about having a nuclear button, Trump immediately said that he had a much larger button and promised North Korea “fire and fury,” which horrified not only many people around the world , but also their own generals.
Besides the nuclear button, Twitter's "send" button has become Trump's most dangerous weapon. He made long series of complaints and threats, similar to hysterics, and insulted opponents and even allies. Everyone got it - Democrats, Republicans, numerous journalists and media outlets, whom Trump dubbed “enemies of the people” and “opposition party,” NATO allies.
The image of an unpredictable man at the head of the most powerful country in the world has served Trump well.
He did secure many concessions from abroad.
The DPRK leader eventually froze nuclear and missile tests, for which he was rewarded by the summit and Trump and numerous compliments.
China has entered into substantive negotiations on tariffs. Mexico and Canada eventually agreed to a new free trade agreement.
Trump on Twitter not only makes world history, but also settles scores with numerous opponents, scolding them and inventing offensive nicknames.
Any famous person who curses the American president will get back from him immediately.
Trump has argued with the “grossly overrated” Meryl Streep, with Robert De Niro (“they hit him over the head too much on set”), with Alec Baldwin, who plays Trump in the comedy show.
The president even gossiped about plastic surgery performed by female journalists who spoke unflatteringly about him.
"Witch hunt" and political paralysis
For two years now, the “sword of Damocles” of the investigation by Robert Mueller, the special prosecutor appointed to the US Department of Justice after Trump fired FBI Director James Comey, has been hanging over Trump.
Mueller is investigating allegations of Russian election interference (which Moscow denies) and Trump-Russian “collusion,” which are denied not only in the Kremlin but also in the White House.
Society and the media are literally absorbed in this investigation, despite the fact that Mueller has not yet announced any direct connections between Trump and Moscow. However, the media creates the impression that there is no smoke without fire, and they are completing Mueller’s accusations in order to somehow connect Trump and the Kremlin.
Mueller accused a group of Russian citizens, presumably from the intelligence services, of interfering in the elections, adding to them a number of other individuals and companies. At the same time, he secured the conviction of former Trump campaign chief Paul Manafort for financial violations.
A whole group of other ex-Trump aides fell for the most broadly interpreted concept of “giving false testimony,” although they may not have been charged with other charges.
In parallel with Mueller's investigation, ex-Trump lawyer Michael Cohen was convicted of financial improprieties in paying hush money to women who alleged past intimate relationships with Trump.
Many Democrats are hoping for Trump's impeachment, although no charges have been brought against him. Trump has fiercely defended himself and called Mueller's investigation a "witch hunt."
In November 2018, Democrats won control of the House of Representatives in the midterm elections. A month later, even before the convening of the new Congress, a budget crisis erupted.
Trump, who has promised to build a wall on the border with Mexico, demands $5.7 billion for this and refuses to sign the budget without this money. Democrats flatly refuse to allocate these funds.
As a result, a quarter of federal institutions have been closed for almost a month, and 800 thousand government employees have not received their salaries.
The situation resembles political paralysis, with the parties having already reached steps that Senator Lindsey Graham aptly dubbed sophomoric antics.
New Democratic Speaker Nancy Pelosi told Trump she would not invite him to Congress for his annual speech while the budget crisis continues.
Trump responded by waiting for Pelosi to visit abroad and, literally at the last moment, prohibiting her from using government aircraft for the trip, also citing a “shutdown.”
But in such a power-sharing situation, Trump and Pelosi have to live for another two years, so no one knows what they will do in the future.
Division in society
Trump did not invent the politicization and polarization of elites, society and the media in the United States.
It is convenient to blame everything on the current US President and the “Russians,” as many in America do, especially those who are horrified by Trump’s actions.
But let's not forget that many Republicans were constantly terrified during the Obama years - it was just less noticeable, since the vast majority of the media supported the Democrats. With Trump, polarization and hostility have reached a peak, and many Americans literally no longer hear or want to hear each other.
Trump has often, and for the most part rightly, been accused of making factually false, inaccurate and speculative statements. His adviser Kellyanne Conway coined the infamous phrase "alternative facts." But in fact, there are no longer any facts left at all that all political opponents would agree with.
Trump's possible rival in the 2020 elections, Senator Elizabeth Warren, decided to prove that it was not without reason that she declared her Indian origin (for which she received numerous career benefits and the nickname “Pocahontas” from Trump).
She found in her DNA one Indian ancestor in the sixth to tenth generation (one thousandth of Indian blood).
Trump and his supporters said that Warren was caught in a lie - she has less Indian DNA in her DNA than the majority of the US population.
But pro-Democrat media wrote exclusively that Warren “proved her connection to Native American heritage” and thereby refuted all of Trump’s insinuations.
The opinion of experts is also divided. For example, former Pennsylvania state senator and Trump supporter Bruce Marks considers Mueller's indictment of 12 Russians a "political PR stunt" and does not believe in any collusion between Trump and Russia.
However, Roy Myers, a professor of political science at the University of Maryland in Baltimore County, does not just believe in the Mueller investigation - he even said that he believes it is quite possible that Trump staged a shutdown in order to divert attention from the results of the Mueller investigation, which are even on the horizon not yet visible.
David Lublin, a professor at the American University in Washington and an expert on public administration, emphasizes that division in society is very high and only continues to grow.
“I think the division will remain at a very high level, and will probably become even greater,” he said.
On January 20, the inauguration of the 45th President of the United States, Donald Trump, who won a majority of electoral votes, takes place in Washington. Trump took the oath of office and officially took office as head of the White House. New Vice President Michael Pence also took the oath of office.
About 1,600 guests gathered on Capitol Hill: congressmen, Supreme Court judges, senior officers, governors. The new president, like Barack Obama in 2013, will be sworn in by Chief Justice of the US Supreme Court John Roberts.
By noon local time (20.00 Minsk time), Trump assumed his new position, by which time Obama’s military attaché also handed over the nuclear briefcase to his colleague from Trump’s team. At 17.00 local time (about 1 a.m. Minsk time), Trump, together with the country's first lady, will cross the threshold of the White House for the first time as its hosts for the next four years.
Donald and Melania Trump at the Lincoln Memorial, Washington, January 20, 2017. Photo: Reuters 
According to tradition, Trump attended a service at St. John's Church before taking the oath of office, then, together with his wife and the vice president, went to a tea party at the White House, where the outgoing President and First Lady Barack and Michelle Obama were waiting for them. The 44th president left a note for his successor, which he placed in the top drawer of his desk in the Oval Office.
Michelle Obama, Melania and Donald Trump, Barack Obama before the traditional tea party at the White House, Washington, January 20, 2017. Photo: Reuters Attention! You have JavaScript disabled, your browser does not support HTML5, or you have an older version of Adobe Flash Player installed. 
Among the guests are former US presidents.
The 43rd US President George W. Bush and his wife arrived at the inauguration ceremony of the 45th President Donald Trump. Washington, January 20, 2017. Photo: Reuters 
His main rival in the election race, Hillary Clinton, also arrived at Donald Trump's inauguration ceremony along with her husband and 42nd US President Bill Clinton. Washington, January 20, 2017. Photo: Reuters The inauguration takes place against the backdrop of protests in the country. On January 20, thousands of opponents of Donald Trump rally in New York. Among its participants were such celebrities as actors Robert De Niro, Mark Ruffalo and Cher. have been going on since Trump's election. Organizers promise protests all day on January 20, as well as a Women's March on January 21.
electors versus Clinton's 227.
In his election program, the new president planned to build a wall against migrants on the border with Mexico, improve relations with Russia and deny protection to those NATO members who do not pay dues.
Donald Trump officially took office as President of the United States. The inauguration ceremony of the 45th head of the White House took place on Friday, January 20, in Washington. Trump and new Vice President Michael Pence took the oath of allegiance to the Constitution and the country.
Context
During the ceremony, held on Capitol Hill, former US Presidents Jimmy Carter, Bill Clinton and George W. Bush and their spouses were present, as well as Trump's immediate predecessor in the White House, Barack Obama and his wife.
Donald Trump then gave a speech in which he thanked Barack Obama and his wife for their “kind assistance” in transferring power to the new administration and said that they had been “brilliant.” Meanwhile, further statements by the 45th President of the United States contained criticism of his predecessors. “Today we are not just transferring power from one administration to another, but we are returning power from Washington back to you, the people,” Trump said. In his opinion, “the establishment was protecting itself, not the citizens” of the United States.
Donald Trump believes that the United States used to “invest money in foreign industry,” “protect the borders of other countries,” and “spend trillions of dollars overseas” to the detriment of its own industry, army and infrastructure. But “from this day on, America comes first,” the new head of the White House promised.
According to law enforcement agencies, about 900 thousand people attended the celebrations, including protesters. On Inauguration Day, mass demonstrations of Americans dissatisfied with Trump's victory in the presidential election took place in the capital of the United States. According to local media reports, the protests escalated into riots and clashes with police. The protesters smashed several windows, and the police responded with tear gas.
See also:
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Donald Trump "with the people"
After a number of famous stars of American show business more or less politely said “no, we can’t,” the newly elected US President from the Republican Party, pretending not to be offended at all, said that he was going to celebrate the inauguration anyway "with the people"! In the photo: Donald Trump with his supporters.
Donald Trump's inauguration: musical accompaniment
Beyoncé: sang for Obama
Just recently, celebrities from American show business flocked to parties at the White House: brilliant Hollywood and TV stars, pop and pop music legends. The elite of the American entertainment industry did not expect a second invitation from Barack Obama. It's more difficult for Donald Trump. It simply doesn’t make sense to invite stars like Beyoncé to the concert on the occasion of his inauguration.
Donald Trump's inauguration: musical accompaniment
Bruce Springsteen: Obama Honoree
Also speaking in support of Barack Obama was Bruce Springsteen, who received the Medal of Freedom in 2016, the highest award in the United States for “significant contributions to the security and protection of the national interests of the United States, to the maintenance of peace throughout the world, as well as to the social and cultural life of the United States and the world.” . It is unlikely that the twenty-time winner of the Grammy Award and other prestigious awards would have accepted Trump’s invitation.
Donald Trump's inauguration: musical accompaniment
Katy Perry: Hillary Supporter
American singer Katy Perry openly supported Hillary Clinton and even appeared naked in a provocative election video. Her example was followed by Madonna, who also directly called for voting for the Democratic presidential candidate. There was no point in inviting these stars to Trump either. As did Lady Gaga, Jennifer Lopez, Jon Bon Jovi, who supported the Democrats.
Donald Trump's inauguration: musical accompaniment
The Beach Boys: questionable
The Beach Boys received an invitation from Donald Trump. The musicians, who celebrated the fiftieth anniversary of their group in 2012, in their current composition, took note of the invitation. According to American media reports, they may perform at a concert on the occasion of the inauguration of the new US President.
Donald Trump's inauguration: musical accompaniment
Elton John: rebuttal
Elton John thought for a moment. In response to a statement by one of Trump's employees in one of the BBC programs about Elton John's alleged intention to sing in support of the new American president, the British performer responded with a sharp denial.
Donald Trump's inauguration: musical accompaniment
Andrea Bocelli: despite friendship
The Italian opera singer is considered a friend of Donald Trump. There are two versions regarding his non-participation in the inauguration. One says that the tenor first agreed, and then, due to protests from indignant fans, refused. Trump's version: Bocelli himself offered his services, but the president rejected them. Be that as it may, Andrea Bocelli will not sing for Trump.
Donald Trump's inauguration: musical accompaniment
Celine Dion: busy this day
The Canadian singer refused an invitation to Donald Trump's inauguration not because of antipathy towards the president, but because she is already performing in Las Vegas on January 20 and would not want to disappoint her fans.
Donald Trump's inauguration: musical accompaniment
The Chainsmokers: manager intervened
A press report that American DJs Andrew Taggart and Alex Paul would perform at Trump's house was denied by the duo's manager.
Donald Trump's inauguration: musical accompaniment
The Dixie Chicks: From Bush to Trump
The all-female country trio from Dallas found themselves at the center of a scandal in 2003 when one of the members, Natalie Mance, said during a performance in London that she was ashamed to be from the same state as President Bush, who started the Iraq War. Now Natalie is criticizing Trump and the "two-faced" radio stations that broadcast Trump despite his attacks on Hillary Clinton.
Donald Trump's inauguration: musical accompaniment
KISS: On Tour
The American rockers, according to Gene Simmons' wife, "politely declined" Trump's invitation. Simmons said the band will be touring Europe during this time.
Donald Trump's inauguration: musical accompaniment
Garth Brooks: listed
The American country music singer is also on the list of celebrities who have declined Trump's invitation, although the musician himself previously said he would be "honored" to perform at the inauguration.
Donald Trump's inauguration: musical accompaniment
Rebecca Ferguson: the condition is impossible
The British singer agreed to perform at Donald Trump's inauguration only if she was allowed to sing the song "Strange Fruit". This song, made famous by Billie Holiday, was and remains the protest anthem of the African-American civil movement. Originally written as a poem, the song's lyrics criticize racism in the United States and the lynching of African Americans.
Donald Trump's inauguration: musical accompaniment
DJ Moby: obviously in the wrong place
A longtime vegan and animal rights activist, American DJ Moby publicly supports the Democrats, considering them “a million times better than any Republican alternative.” Nevertheless, he was invited to Trump’s inauguration. The surprised DJ's reaction on Instagram: "Ha ha ha ha ha, wait a second, ha ha ha ha ha, really?" He went on to write what he would think if Trump released his tax returns.
Donald Trump's inauguration: musical accompaniment
Jennifer Holiday: Misunderstood
The American singer and actress decided not to perform at Trump's concert after fans and the public regarded her agreement as a political gesture and a show of solidarity with the president.
Donald Trump's inauguration: musical accompaniment
Ice-T: joking
American rapper and actor Ice-T said on Twitter that he received an invitation to the inauguration by phone. He allegedly declined the invitation and blocked the caller’s number. Then, however, the rapper admitted that he was joking and that there were no calls.
Donald Trump's inauguration: musical accompaniment
Alec Baldwin: an initiative with a catch
The Hollywood actor himself invited Donald Trump to make him happy with his presence at the inauguration and even sing the song of the rock band AC/DC “Highway to Hell”. It's hard to imagine, however, that the president-elect of the United States would be happy to have a guest who parodied him on Saturday Night Live. In the photo: actor Alec Baldwin as Donald Trump.
Donald Trump's inauguration: musical accompaniment
Jackie Ivanko: an asterisk for Trump
The now 16-year-old singer Jackie Ivanko agreed to shine her light on Trump during his inauguration as president. The great-granddaughter of immigrants from Transcarpathia with a pleasant soprano voice gained fame thanks to her participation in the TV show “America’s Got Talent” in 2010. Then she was 10 years old, and she took second place in the competition.
Donald Trump's inauguration: musical accompaniment
The Radio City Rockettes: Dance for Trump
A female dance group from New York, founded in 1925 in St. Louis, combining the traditions of the French variety show and the American dance musical, also agreed. The dancers are famous for their impeccable synchronization of performance. One member of the ensemble, however, broke ranks and complained on social networks that she was forced to perform at the inauguration against her will.
Donald Trump's inauguration: musical accompaniment
Mormon Tabernacle Choir: Sing for Trump
The Mormons did not leave the president in trouble. The Salt Lake City Mormon Temple Choir, which was formed in 1847 and has performed at the inaugurations of five US presidents, has also agreed to perform at Donald Trump's inauguration. True, one participant out of 360 people still left the choir, refusing to perform for the new president.
The real removal of the president from power is unlikely to happen
In America, a tradition seems to be emerging: every twenty-one years, at the end of December, 450 people get together and impeach the president. And if in 1998 Democrat Bill Clinton faced charges, then December of this year has already become fierce for Republican Donald Trump. The majority of votes accepted charges against the US President for both abuse of power and obstruction of justice. Still, it's not all bad for Republicans. The process has united their party, and it is not over yet. And the president is quite ready to seize the initiative and strike at the Democrats.
How Trump was impeached
Nancy Pelosi is hardly a good poker player. This quality is not something that a leading politician needs, but having good control over your emotions would be very useful. Despite her best efforts not to rejoice and maintain a sad expression, Pelosi's face broke into a smile after the voting results. Of the 450 congressmen, 230 supported the charges of abuse of power and 229 supported the charges of obstructing the Congressional investigation. Throughout the eight hours of debate, Democratic congressmen maintained the line that the current process is a tragedy for all of America, and not a “celebration of one party,” and Democrats must vote for impeachment “with a heavy heart.” And yet, after the official results were announced, the Democrats, contrary to all recommendations, burst into applause, and even Pelosi herself could not help but smile. They went to this impeachment for three months, and finally were able to announce it without causing a serious split in the party.
On the other hand, if the Democrats still found a couple of “defectors,” then the unity of the Republican Party is impressive. Among all 197 Republicans, there was no one who supported the charges brought against their president. This is a revealing situation: Conservatives were rarely united by the attempt to remove Trump. Even those who represent districts where the majority of residents supported Hillary Clinton in 2016 still did not deviate from their party line. President Trump still managed to become the absolute leader of his party, and speaking against him would be political suicide for almost any Republican, because 95% of party supporters are confident in the innocence of the head of state and actively support him.
Highlights of the night: Stephen King, a minute of silence and Tulsi's demarche
Trump's impeachment will be remembered not only for the dry number of votes for and against, but also for several bright moments. Firstly, the famous writer Stephen King showed an active civic position. Moreover, he did not just make a one-time statement, but promised to “do everything in his power” to deprive the congressman from his district of a seat in the House of Representatives. Democrat Jared Golden from Maine brought this writer's fury upon himself. But the writer was not angry that Golden voted “for” the charge of abuse of power against Trump; on the contrary, Stephen King was furious that the congressman voted against the charge of obstruction of justice. King called on "anyone" to run against Golden in the primary and pledged his full support. Overall, Golden finds himself in a very difficult situation: in his district, a majority does not support impeachment, but they are angry that he agreed to bring the first charge. Those who support impeachment are outraged by his betrayal on the issue of the second charge. It looks like we've learned the name of the first congressman to lose the 2020 election.
But Golden is not the only Democrat who did not support impeachment in some way. In addition to him, Republican Jeff Van Drew and “old Democrat” Collin Peterson spoke for the president within five minutes. Both of these congressmen are terribly far from the current Democratic Party: they ardently support gun rights, oppose same-sex marriage and abortion, vote against increasing benefits and the minimum wage, and do not worry about the problems of migrants. In a word, they are many times closer to the president than to the leaders of their party (and Van Drew has already announced his transition to the Republicans). Much more sudden was the demarche of Tulsi Gabbard, who is now in the race for the presidency of the United States. She unexpectedly abstained from voting, saying that as a result of the investigation, she was unable to form an opinion either about the guilt of the president or about his complete innocence of crimes. Tulsi Gabbard has long been a protest within the Democratic Party and they have long been trying to silence her and throw her out of the race. However, her popularity is growing and she performs well in debates. There is no chance of her becoming the Democratic nominee, but the impeachment vote underscored the gulf between her and the party. Gabbard could break with the Democrats and run as an independent candidate: this would be a huge blow to the party's positions.
Republicans do not have such risks, because they did not have a single defector. The only non-Democratic congressman who supported the charges left the conservatives a long time ago. This is Justin Amash, a very moderate Republican who has been in Congress since 2011. Six months ago, he announced his resignation from the Republican Party and his future plans to move independently. However, this is a one-time incident, and it seems that it will not continue. All other Republicans remained loyal to their president, and at the debate they defended themselves. Several members even held a “minute of silence” due to the injustice of the accusations. Republican Russ Fulcher of Idaho made it even more interesting. He took the podium and said he would list all of Trump's crimes. After this, the congressman spent the remaining time in absolute silence.
What about Trump?
Donald Trump, by his own admission, watched the impeachment debate only in fragments. He missed the vote itself. It was at this time that he spoke to a crowd of his supporters in the city of Battle Creek in Michigan. This place was not chosen by chance. First, Michigan, although leaning toward the Democrats, supported Trump in 2016. The US President is guaranteed to give the Democrats a fight in this state and will try to win there again. The second reason is that senatorial elections will be held here, where the not-so-strong Democrat Gary Peters will be challenged by the bright and energetic Republican John James. We can talk about James for a long time, but many experts agree that it will not be easy for Peters to retain his chair. Trump’s appearance is part of a campaign not only for himself, but also for his fellow Republican. And thirdly, Battle Creek was clearly not chosen by chance: it is part of the constituency represented by ex-Republican Justin Amash. Trump spoke to Amash's base just as the congressman was voting against him. This is the clearest message to local residents: as a Trump supporter, you cannot support the man who tried to bring him down. It's almost certain that someone else will represent Michigan's 3rd District in the next Congress.
In his speech, the president touched on the topic of impeachment. According to Donald Trump, the Democrats have committed “political suicide.” The head of the White House said that this process is not directed against him personally, but against all those who are not ready to live according to the orders of the leaders of the Democratic Party. At the same time, the US President is confident that the American voter understands this and will respond by voting for him and the Republican Party. Trump said that he was having fun and was not at all offended, because the process of removing him from power would help him get re-elected. And judging by the sharp increase in the president’s ratings against the backdrop of impeachment, he is not so far from the truth.
Democrats still managed to impeach Trump before Christmas. Congress will soon go into holiday recess. He will return to work only in 2020. Then Nancy Pelosi will have to bring the charges to the Senate. The Republicans have a majority in the Senate, so it is clear that removing the president is highly unlikely. But it should be noted that the Republicans have two options for what they can do.
On the one hand, they can quickly dismiss the charges, declaring that Trump is completely innocent and thereby close the impeachment issue, turning all attention to the election campaign. Trump is doing very well there so far, he is breaking records for donations collected and regularly holds rallies of thousands in front of supporters. In general, in such a situation it may be beneficial for him to leave the slippery topic of impeachment and plunge into the election campaign.
On the other hand, Republicans will have carte blanche to call witnesses to the Senate. And if Democrats had de facto term limits, then Republicans would have plenty of time to force all the witnesses they wanted to testify at trial. Most likely, the interrogation will not affect the Democratic leaders in the House of Representatives (as Trump wanted), but the Democratic Party could suffer greatly. Joe Biden and his son may be questioned, which risks burying the ratings of the race leader among Democrats. Eric Ciaramella, the whistleblower who had ties to the Democratic leadership and actually started the impeachment, may be called in for questioning. Questions could be asked of other prominent Obama administration officials, and even the former president himself could be questioned. In this case, it is this agenda that will come to the fore, seriously pushing back the democratic primaries themselves. It will become more difficult for Democrats to conduct an election campaign, which, in the absence of a single political leader, could completely lead to the collapse of their ambitions to take the White House based on the election results.
One way or another, one thing is clear - the Senate will not support impeachment under any circumstances. To be in real danger of being removed from power, the president must lose the support of ordinary voters. And while it is only growing with him, Trump can have no doubt about his leadership. Republicans will not betray Trump, especially when “betraying Trump” sounds like “betraying ourselves.”