On Wednesday, January 13, 2021, members of the US House of Representatives voted (232-197
) to impeach President Donald Trump for the second time in four years. The single article of impeachment charged the US leader with "incitement of insurrection" against the United States government on January 6, 2021. Here is how we got to this unprecedented moment and what to expect next.
The storming of the US Capitol
President Trump speaking to supporters at the "Save America" rally on January 6, 2021 (Credit: Voice of America,/Public domain/Wikimedia Commons)
At about 1:00 pm EST on January 6, 2021, US lawmakers gathered for a joint session in the House of Representatives chamber to count the 2020 electoral college votes. The event, which culminates with the Vice President declaring the election's official winner, entails states submitting sealed certificates with the number of electoral votes obtained by each presidential candidate. In the past, the largely ceremonial procedure has been completed in less than an hour. However, that was not the case this year.