Biden urges Senate to focus on his agenda as Trump impeached for a second time - latest news

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Donald Trump became the first President to be impeached twice as the House of Representatives voted 232-197 in favour, the most bipartisan impeachment vote in US history.

Ten House GOP members voted in favour, including Liz Cheney, the third most senior Republican in the House and the daughter of former US vice president Dick Cheney.

However, President-elect Biden urged the Senate to not become consumed by impeachment proceedings and lose sight of his legislative agenda.

"I hope that the Senate leadership will find a way to deal with their Constitutional responsibilities on impeachment while also working on the other urgent business of this nation," Biden said in a statement.

In response, Donald Trump issued an unconditional call for his supporters not to cause any violence in the run-up to the inauguration in a five-minute video message posted on the White House's YouTube account after the impeachment vote.

Mr Trump said: "Making America Great Again has always been about defending the rule of law, supporting the men and women of law enforcement and upholding our nation's most sacred traditions and values."

"Mob violence goes against everything I believe in and everything our movement stands for. No true supporter of mine could ever endorse political violence."

Follow the latest updates below.


03:43 PM

Fourth U.S. lawmaker tests positive for Covid-19 after U.S. Capitol attack

U.S. Representative Adriano Espaillat has said he had tested positive for Covid-19, becoming the fourth member of Congress to announce they had contracted the coronavirus following a mob attack on the U.S. Capitol last week.

"I am following guidance from my physician and quarantining at home after having tested positive for Covid-19," he wrote on Twitter.

Mr Espaillat is the latest lawmaker to test positive for the coronavirus in what has become a partisan issue, with Democrats blaming Republicans for not wearing masks while sheltering in secure areas on Jan. 6, as violent supporters of Republican President Donald Trump stormed the building.

But only Democrats have reported testing positive as a result of the emergency so far. The 66-year-old New York City Democrat said he received a second dose of coronavirus vaccine last week but noted that vaccinations take time to become effective.

"I have continued to be tested regularly, wear my mask and follow the recommended guidelines," Mr Espaillat wrote on Twitter. "I will continue my duties representing New York’s 13th congressional district remotely until I have received clearance from my doctor."


03:31 PM

National Mall to be closed on inauguration day

The National Mall, normally the site where vast crowds gather to see a new president sworn in, will be closed on inauguration day, the Washington Post has reported.

The Mall is where the general public normally convene to watch proceedings, but this year, access will be limited to the press and security personnel.

"That means no one will be able to get into the Mall," an officials quoted by the Washington Post said. "I would think about it as if you are going to watch, you are not going to be able to see anything. You would maybe be able to see the top of the Capitol."

In 2009, during the first inauguration of Barak Obama, a reported 1 million people gathered on the National Mall to watch the event.


03:20 PM

Meet Joe Biden's presidential transition team

The clock is ticking. With or without the co-operation of the outgoing Trump administration during the transition, Joe Biden wants to hit the ground running when he takes office on January 20.

Irrespective of the blizzard of litigation, Mr Biden has already identified key members of the team he hopes will help ensure that his administration assumes the reins of government smoothly.

READ MORE: Meet Joe Biden's presidential transition team


03:02 PM

Russia says Trump ban a 'nuclear blast in cyber space'

Russia has compared the decision of social media giants to suspend US President Donald Trump's accounts to a "nuclear blast in cyber space" with the consequences hard to predict.

"The decision of US internet platforms to block the head of state can be compared to a nuclear blast in cyber space," Russian foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said on Facebook.

"It's not the destruction that's scary but the consequences," she added. "A blow has been dealt against democratic values proclaimed by the West."

Trump's Facebook and Instagram accounts were suspended last week following the violent invasion of the US Capitol by a mob of his supporters, which disrupted the certification of President-elect Joe Biden's election victory. Twitter went a step further by deleting Trump's account, depriving him of his favourite megaphone.

Ms Zakharova pointed to a chorus of critics in the West including German Chancellor Angela Merkel calling the Twitter ban "problematic".

The social media ban, said Ms Zakharova, was one more reason for US authorities to "take care" of their own country instead of criticising Moscow.


02:46 PM

'Impeaching Trump is an elegant solution to the damage he's caused'

Republicans could be protected from a Trump candidacy in 2024, says Tim Stanley.

The House has voted to impeach Donald Trump, which means the Senate will put him on trial. But this isn't likely to happen before January 20, when Joe Biden takes the oath of office and Trump leaves the presidency, so what's the point? Is there a risk it looks like a martyrdom?

READ MORE: Impeaching Trump is an elegant solution to the damage he's caused​


02:32 PM

Jennifer Lopez to join Lady Gaga performing at inauguration

The Biden team has announced that Jennifer Lopez will take the stage at the inauguration ceremony, alongside others in what his transition team said would showcase a diverse America.

The event will also feature remarks from a black firefighter from Georgia, a former Youth Poet Laureate, a Catholic priest, and a pastor from Biden's hometown of Wilmington, Delaware.

Lady Gaga will sing the national anthem and Ms Lopez will give a musical performance, although it is not clear what she will perform.

"They represent one clear picture of the grand diversity of our great nation," Biden's team said in a statement.

Ms Lopez has been particularly vocal about the plight of Latino's due to the coronavirus pandemic over the last nine months.


02:13 PM

What Donald Trump's impeachment means for his chances of a comeback


01:55 PM

What next for Mike Pence?

Following the defeat of the Trump-Pence ticket in November, Mike Pence will no longer hold political office, but his influence in the Republican part should remain strong.

The former Indiana governor, 61, is a popular figure in the Republican party and is in pole position to win the GOP's nomination for the 2024 election.

He has resisted pressure from Democrats to invoke the 25th Amendment and immediately remove Trump from office following the January 6 insurrection by pro-Trump rioters at the US Capitol.

He is currently considered to be one of the frontrunners in the Republican party to run for President in 2024, alongside the likes of Ted Cruz, Mike Pompeo and Tom Cotton.

In the short-term, a return to conservative talk-radio seems likely.

READ MORE: What next for Mike Pence after Trump's impeachment?


01:40 PM

Telegram flooded with death threats and calls for violence amid Trump ban

Donald Trump's removal from Facebook and Twitter is fuelling a surge in the use of rival service Telegram, with the messaging app experiencing a 500pc rise in users over the past 72 hours, reports Morgan Meaker.

The explosion in the use of Telegram has prompted fears that right-wing extremists are embracing the platform, which uses sophisticated encryption and in the past has been linked to use by Islamic extremist groups, in growing numbers.

Multiple Neo-Nazi and extreme right groups could be found operating on Telegram on Wednesday. They include the Nationalist Social Club 131, with more than 2,000 subscribers and the Boogaloo Intel Group, with more than 7,000 subscribers.

READ MORE: Telegram flooded with death threats and calls for violence amid Trump ban


01:23 PM

Trump's golf courses might be gold standard, but they've been ruined by the toxicity of the brand

The outgoing president's greatest passion is golf, but he's become persona non grata in that arena too, writes Farhad Heydari.

In golf, there is an old adage that you play the ball where it lies. There is no prevarication and, with only a few exceptions, little debate. Your ball could have buried itself in a sandy bunker, ended up in a divot on an otherwise manicured emerald fairway – no matter, you must attempt to advance it without the intervention of anything other than the clubhead. Either that or you must reconcile yourself to taking a penalty – self-administered, of course. Or concede defeat of the hole or the match, as the case may be.

One would’ve assumed a golfing aficionado like Donald Trump would have thought of that age-old maxim when the election results came in last November and, once all the outstanding votes in those key battleground states were tallied and the results were deemed incontrovertible, conceded the presidency – much like any hacker would do on the short stuff.

READ MORE: Trump's golf courses might be gold standard, but they've been ruined by the toxicity of the brand


01:07 PM

Social media giants mishandled Trump, says Wikipedia founder

Twitter and Facebook repeatedly mishandled Donald Trump as he pushed baseless claims, including his assertion that US presidential election he lost was rigged, Wikipedia founder Jimmy Wales told AFP.

The two social media giants indefinitely suspended Trump after his supporters stormed the US Capitol on January 6, an attack on the seat of democracy that on Wednesday led to Trump's second impeachment.

Mr Wales told AFP in an interview to mark Wikipedia's 20th anniversary on Friday that responsibility for the unprecedented events in Washington rested "100 percent at the feet of Donald Trump".

But he said Twitter and Facebook had consistently "struggled with misinformation, disinformation" peddled by the firebrand former New York real estate tycoon who is due to leave office next week.

"With Donald Trump, they did a poor job of dealing with him for a very, very long time," Mr Wales said. "He was clearly spreading disinformation, he was clearly being abusive to people."


12:47 PM

The cyber sleuths helping to unmask the Washington rioters online

It will be a challenging few weeks for the lawyer representing Adam Johnson, who was seen grinning and waving as he carried House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s lectern through the Capitol building.

He certainly wishes the photos would disappear. But as he told reporters outside of court, this week “I’m not a magician”.

The digital trail left by people attending last week's riots are being so closely monitored by amateur cyber sleuths. By the time the Federal Bureau of Investigation began asking for the public's help in finding rioters, many had already been identified.

READ MORE: The cyber sleuths helping to unmask the Washington rioters online


12:23 PM

The impeachment vote held a silver lining for Donald Trump

It isn't all over for Donald Trump, writes Nick Allen. History will record that he was the only US President to be impeached twice. That is an unprecedented and dire indictment of his presidency, and of him.

But looking deeper at the vote in the House of Representatives there is a silver lining for Mr Trump and his remaining supporters. And it shows that the political door has not completely slammed in his face.

Even the White House had expected up to 20 Republicans to join Democrats voting to impeach him. But in the end only 10 of the 211 Republican members of Congress did so.

That was less than 10 per cent of the 147 Republican members of Congress who, only a week ago, backed Mr Trump and voted against certification of the election results.

READ MORE: The impeachment vote held a silver lining for Donald Trump


12:05 PM

Trump has told aides to 'stop paying Rudy Giuliani'

Donald Trump has told his aides to stop paying the legal fees of his lawyer Rudy Giuliani and demanded that he personally approve all expenses related to overturning the election, according to the Washington Post.

The number of allies Trump has is dwindling fast and Mr Giuliani has been one of his most steadfast supporters. However, that relationship appears to be breaking down.

Trump has reportedly been concerned by some of the strategy Mr Giuliani has used to try and overturn the election result, and was angered by Mr Giuliani's demand for $20,000 (£14,659) per day in legal fees for his services.

Mr Giuliani has been one of the most vocal and passionate defenders of Trump, spending much of the last two months crying wolf over election fraud on the President's behalf


11:44 AM

Lady Gaga to perform at Biden inauguration

Lady Gaga will perform the national anthem at Joe Biden's inauguration, Variety have reported.

The 11-time Grammy winner has been a vocal supporter of the Biden-Harris ticket, and campaigned for them in Pennsylvania in the run-up to the 2020 presidential election.

It has also been announced that Jennifer Lopez will perform, although what she will be doing has yet to be announced.

Lady Gaga has previous for performing the national anthem at significant events in the US. In 2016, she was widely praised for her rendition prior to the Superbowl.


11:26 AM

Biden to unveil plan to pump $1.5 trillion into pandemic-hit economy

President-elect Joe Biden will unveil a stimulus package proposal tonight designed to jump-start the economy during the coronavirus pandemic with an economic lifeline that could exceed $1.5 trillion and help minority communities.

Biden campaigned last year on a promise to take the pandemic more seriously than President Donald Trump, and the package aims to put that pledge into action with an influx of resources for the coronavirus vaccine rollout and economic recovery.

The stimulus package has a price tag above $1.5 trillion and includes a commitment for $1,400 stimulus checks, according to a source familiar with the proposal, and Biden is expected to commit to partner with private companies to increase the number of Americans getting vaccinated.

A significant portion of the additional financial resources will be dedicated to minority communities. “I think you will see a real emphasis on these underserved communities, where there is a lot of hard work to do,” said a transition official.

The Democratic president-elect said last week the stimulus package would be "in the trillions of dollars” and argued that more spending early on would reduce the long-term economic damage from the shutdowns spurred by the pandemic.

He also said there would be “billions of dollars” to speed up vaccine distribution, along with money to help reopen schools and for state and local governments to avoid laying off teachers, police officers and health workers.


11:09 AM

'No one is above the law': Nancy Pelosi signs second Donald Trump impeachment


10:48 AM

National Guard given lethal weapons to protect Capitol

National Guard troops defending the US Capitol have been given lethal weapons to carry as senior officials launched an unprecedented security operation to protect government buildings, reports Rozina Sabur.

Around 15,000 National Guard troops are expected to be deployed to Washington DC ahead of Joe Biden's inauguration on January 20 amid fears the days leading up to his swearing-in could be marked by violent protests.

Thousands of troops have already been stationed in and around Congress in the aftermath of the storming of the US Capitol by a pro-Trump mob on January 6.

The Pentagon has approved moves to arm all the troops around the Capitol complex with lethal weapons, including assault rifles, as well as Kevlar body armour and gas masks. Previously troops in the District of Columbia had only carried protective gear.

READ MORE: National Guard given lethal weapons as US launches unprecedented security operation


10:30 AM

Video exclusive: 'Death is the only remedy' for law enforcement

Our US Correspondent Rozina Sabur was on the ground when pro-Trump rioters stormed the US Capitol. In this exclusive, she tells the story of how she came face-to-face with a rioter who beat Michael Fanone, a Capitol police officer, with an American flag. Mr Fanone was hospitalised with his injuries.


10:09 AM

US police three times as likely to use force against leftwing protesters

A new report has found that the US police are three times more likely to use force when dealing with leftwing protests than they are when dealing with rightwing protests.

The research was carried out by the US Crisis Monitor, a nonprofit group that monitors global political violence. It is run by a team of researchers at Princeton University and the Armed Conflict Location and Event Data (ACLED) project and looked at 13,000 protests that have taken place in the US since April 2020.

It found that US law enforcement agencies have used teargas, pepper spray, rubber bullets, and beatings against 4.7 per cent of leftwing protests compared to just 1.4 per cent of rightwing protests.

This is despite the fact that protests from both sides are overwhelmingly peaceful. 96 per cent of rightwing demonstrations and 94 per cent of leftwing demonstrations went without violence in the last ten months.

"Police are not just engaging more because [leftwing protesters] are more violent. They’re engaging more even with peaceful protesters," Dr Roudabeh Kishi, ACLED’s director of research and innovation, told the Guardian. "That’s the clear trend."

For the purposes of the analysis, the ACLED classified 'leftwing' protests as those carried out by BLM, Abolish ICE and Antifa, among others. 'Rightwing' protests included pro-Trump rallies, 'Blue Lives Matter' and QAnon supporters, among others.


09:47 AM

Donald Trump impeached: Inside the chamber

Under strict security after last week's riot, congressmen quietly and solemnly enacted a stunning moment in American history. Our US Editor Ben Riley-Smith was one of the few journalists there to witness the historic moment.

There was no spasm of celebration or wave of applause at the moment Donald Trump made history by becoming the first US President ever to be impeached twice.

Instead there was near silence in the US House of Representatives after Nancy Pelosi, the Democratic House speaker who green-lit the lightning quick impeachment drive, uttered the critical words.

“On this vote, the ayes are 232, the nays are 197. The resolution is adopted,” she said from the Speaker’s chair, swiftly followed by a thwack of the gavel.

Belatedly one congressman on the Democratic side of the chamber, sensing a moment missed, attempted a flutter of claps but it lasted just a few seconds.

READ MORE: Donald Trump impeached: Inside the chamber, the historic vote passed as metal detectors pinged outside


09:30 AM

Donald Trump urges supporters not to commit violence


09:12 AM

New York City to cancel $17m deals with Trump Organization

New York City will cut its financial ties with the Trump Organization in the wake of the US president's inflammatory remarks to the crowd that stormed the Capitol last week, the city's mayor announced.

Mayor Bill de Blasio said the city will cancel three contracts to operate a carousel in Manhattan's Central Park, skating rinks and a golf course in the Bronx that are worth around $17 million a year.

“The president incited a rebellion against the United States government that killed five people and threatened to derail the constitutional transfer of power,” Mr de Blasio said as he announced the decision. “The city of New York will not be associated with those unforgivable acts in any shape, way or form."

READ MORE: New York City to cancel deals with Trump Organization for skating rinks and golf course worth $17m a year


08:56 AM

Trump's historic second impeachment in pictures

Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi holds the signed Article of Impeachment against US President Donald J. Trump during an engrossment ceremony - SHAWN THEW/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock /Shutterstock
A staff member for House Nancy Pelos wheels her podium through Statutory Hall at the U.S. Capitol. This is the same podium that was taken out of Pelosi's office by pro-Trump MAGA mobs - Ken Cedeno/UPI/Shutterstock /Shutterstock
Nancy Pelosi presides over the vote to impeach President Donald Trump for a second time - Jonathan Ernst/Reuters

08:41 AM

A breakdown of the vote


08:28 AM

The 'jaws of mobocracy' muzzled by National Guard

At first glance, the National Guard members posted in the US Capitol building on Tuesday morning were the picture of nonchalance. Some had their eyes closed, grabbing rest while they could. Others idly scrolled on their phones. But the fact that they were there, dressed in camouflage with guns propped against walls, could not have been starker, reports our US Editor Ben Riley-Smith.

Above one handful of soldiers sat the gleaming white bust of Abraham Lincoln, the president who saved America from itself during the Civil War.

A plaque nearby commemorated the troops who quartered themselves in that very building 160 years earlier – a reminder of how fragile the Union once was.

READ MORE: The 'jaws of mobocracy' muzzled by a growing National Guard presence on Capitol Hill


08:14 AM

Biden urges Senate to focus on his agenda, not just impeachment

President-elect Joe Biden has reminded the Senate that it cannot become consumed by the impeachment trial of Donald Trump.

In his first comments since the impeachment vote of his predecessor in the House of Representatives, Biden urged the Upper House of Congress to focus on his legislative agenda.

"I hope that the Senate leadership will find a way to deal with their Constitutional responsibilities on impeachment while also working on the other urgent business of this nation," Biden said in a statement.

"From confirmations to key posts such as Secretaries for Homeland Security, State, Defense, Treasury, and Director of National Intelligence, to getting our vaccine program on track, and to getting our economy going again. Too many of our fellow Americans have suffered for too long over the past year to delay this urgent work."


08:02 AM

Fines for US lawmakers who refuse to walk through metal detectors

US lawmakers who refuse to go through metal detectors installed at the House of Representatives after last week's Capitol riot will be fined, Speaker Nancy Pelosi said.

The fine for the first offense will be $5,000, and $10,000 for the second, Pelosi said in a statement. Fines will be docked directly from members' salaries.

"It is tragic that this step is necessary, but the Chamber of the People's House must and will be safe," Ms Pelosi said as she announced the measure.

Tighter safety rules came into effect after a mob of supporters of President Donald Trump violently broke into the building on January 6 in an attempt to stop the certification of Joe Biden as the next US president.

Five people died in the day of violence.

Metal detectors were installed at the entrances to the US House for the first time Tuesday in response to the riot.

"Sadly," Ms Pelosi wrote, just days after the new safety protocols were in place, "many House Republicans have disrespected" the Capitol police "by verbally abusing them and refusing to adhere to basic precautions keeping members of our Congressional community, including the Capitol Police, safe."


07:51 AM

'The death of social media as we know it is nigh'

The storming of the US Capitol means sweeping changes to toughen up Big Tech regulation are now inevitable, says Robin Pagnamenta.

As the mob turned violent, police seemed overwhelmed.There was little they could do to stop a swelling, angry crowd from forcing its way inside, battering down doors, smashing glass and leaving a trail of destruction and looting in its wake.A week later, it’s clear that the riot on the US Capitol has destroyed far more than a few windows and pieces of furniture in the marbled corridors of Washington DC.

READ MORE: The death of social media as we know it is nigh


07:40 AM

Meet the Republican rebels


07:26 AM

Olympic swimming medalist Klete Keller charged over Capitol riot

US Olympic swimming gold medalist Klete Keller was charged by the Justice Department Wednesday with participating in the January 6 attack on Congress by supporters of President Donald Trump.

Keller was filmed as part of the crowd that illegally entered the huge Rotunda hall of the Capitol after violent protesters broke through police lines and forced their way in.

A statement accompanying formal charges unveiled Wednesday said police identified the three-time Olympian first by what appears to be an official team jacket bearing the large logo "USA" on the back and an arm patch that read "United States Olympic team."

He was charged with illegally entering the Capitol, violent or disorderly conduct, and obstructing law enforcement.

Keller, 38, competed in the Olympics in 2000, 2004 and 2008, taking two golds and a silver in the 4x200 meter freestyle relays, and two bronzes in the individual 400 meter freestyle.

His life after the Olympics was rocky, with a divorce, multiple lost jobs, and plunge into homelessness and living out of his car for a time, he told The Olympic Channel in a 2018 podcast.


07:12 AM

What happened yesterday

Good morning! Momentous days in US politics seem to happen every week at the moment – but yesterday was truly an extraordinary day in American history. Here are the top stories:

  • Donald Trump has become the first US president in history to be impeached twice, with a single article for "incitement of insurrection" passing the US House of Representatives on Wednesday

  • Ten Republicans joined Democrats in voting for impeachment over Mr Trump’s role riling up a mob of supporters who stormed the US Capitol last week

  • Mitch McConnell, the Republican Senate leader, released a statement moments after the vote passed calling for the trial to be held after Joe Biden’s inauguration on January 20

  • Mr Trump released a video statement after the vote urging calm: "Mob violence goes against everything I believe in and everything our movement stands for"

  • Twitter's chief executive Jack Dorsey has admitted that permanently banning Donald Trump set a "dangerous precedent" for the power of tech firms and their bosses

  • New York City will cut its financial ties with the Trump Organization in the wake of the US president's inflammatory remarks to the crowd that stormed the Capitol last week, the city's mayor announce