Trump ‘shellshocked’ after impeachment, White House aides say
US president facing charges of abuse of power and obstruction of Congress after historic vote
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.Donald Trump was reportedly left “shellshocked” and “subdued” after becoming the third US president in history to be impeached by the House of Representatives.
In a vote on Wednesday, the Democratic-led House passed two charges against the 73-year-old, accusing him of an abuse of power and obstruction of Congress.
This followed an impeachment inquiry into allegations Mr Trump pressured Ukraine to investigate Democratic political rival Joe Biden and his son Hunter.
After Nancy Pelosi, the House of Representatives speaker, confirmed the votes, the US president condemned the impeachment as a “set-up” and a “hoax”, the New York Times reports.
The paper adds that, according to White House aides, “the day after found him still a little shellshocked”.
In public, Mr Trump has struck a defiant tone. Tweeting in capital letters, he said on Wednesday: “Such atrocious lies by the radical left, do nothing Democrats. This is an assault on America, and an assault on the Republican party!!!!”
Brad Parscale, the president’s campaign manager, called the Democrats who voted to impeach him “traitors” and urged supporters to fight back. “Let’s make sure they know that we will NEVER FORGET,” Parscale wrote.
Ivanka Trump, the president’s eldest daughter, made clear that her father was unfazed by Wednesday’s vote. “He’s energized,” she told CBS News.
Despite successfully impeaching Mr Trump, the Democrats do not have enough votes in the Republican-controlled Senate to convict and remove him from office.
Ms Pelosi is set to delay sending the articles to the Senate until Republican leaders offer more details about how they will handle an expected trial.
“We’re ready when we see what they have,” she told a news conference.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments