House Votes to Impeach Trump on Abuse of Power and Obstruction of Congress

The House of Representatives voted on December 18, 2019 to impeach President Donald Trump on two articles: Abuse of Power (230-197-1) and Obstruction of Congress (229-198-1), making Trump only the third president in American history to be impeached. Article I charged that Trump “solicited the interference of a foreign government, Ukraine, in the 2020 United States Presidential election” by conditioning military aid and a White House meeting on Ukraine announcing investigations into Joe Biden. Article II charged that Trump “directed the unprecedented, categorical, and indiscriminate defiance of subpoenas” issued by Congress during the impeachment inquiry. The votes were largely party-line, with every Republican voting no and all but two or three Democrats voting yes, reflecting the deep partisan polarization over Trump’s conduct.

Background

The impeachment followed a three-month inquiry that produced overwhelming evidence of Trump’s abuse of power. Career diplomats, military officers, and national security officials testified under oath that Trump pressured Ukraine to announce investigations benefiting his reelection campaign while withholding $391 million in congressionally approved military aid. The House Intelligence Committee’s 300-page report concluded that Trump “placed his own personal and political interests above the national interests of the United States, sought to undermine the integrity of the U.S. presidential election process, and endangered U.S. national security.”

Article I—Abuse of Power—detailed how Trump “corruptly solicited” Ukraine to investigate Biden and a debunked conspiracy theory about the 2016 election, using “the powers of his office” to apply pressure. The article emphasized that Trump’s conduct “compromised the national security of the United States and undermined the integrity of the United States democratic process.” Article II—Obstruction of Congress—documented Trump’s “unprecedented, categorical, and indiscriminate” refusal to comply with congressional subpoenas, including blocking all document production and directing current and former officials not to testify, claiming absolute immunity from congressional oversight.

On Article I, the vote was 230-197-1, with Democrats Collin Peterson (MN) and Jeff Van Drew (NJ) voting no, and Tulsi Gabbard (HI) voting “present.” On Article II, the vote was 229-198-1, with Peterson, Van Drew, and Jared Golden (ME) voting no, and Gabbard again voting present. Zero Republicans voted for either article, despite many privately acknowledging Trump’s misconduct. Van Drew would switch parties to become a Republican weeks later, explicitly citing his opposition to impeachment.

Significance

Trump’s impeachment represented a constitutional crisis without precedent in the partisan uniformity of the response. Unlike Nixon, who resigned when Senate Republicans told him they would vote to convict, Trump faced no meaningful pressure from his own party. Unlike Clinton’s impeachment, which centered on personal misconduct unrelated to official duties, Trump’s impeachment involved abuse of presidential power to solicit foreign interference in an American election—precisely the type of corruption the Founders designed impeachment to address.

The stark party-line vote revealed the collapse of Congress as a check on presidential power when the president’s party controls even one chamber. Republicans defended Trump not by disputing the facts—which were established through documentary evidence and sworn testimony—but by attacking the process, claiming Trump’s conduct didn’t rise to the level of impeachable offenses, and arguing the proper remedy was the 2020 election (the very election Trump was trying to corrupt). This defense effectively argued that a president could use the powers of his office to rig his own reelection and face no consequences as long as his party had enough seats to prevent conviction.

The impeachment also demonstrated the limitations of accountability mechanisms designed by the Founders in an era of extreme partisan polarization. The evidence of Trump’s abuse of power was overwhelming and largely undisputed, yet Republicans concluded that removing a president from office was too politically costly regardless of the constitutional implications. Speaker Pelosi’s somber closing remarks captured this tragedy: “If we do not act now, we would be derelict in our duty. It is tragic that the President’s reckless actions make impeachment necessary.” The Senate trial would confirm these fears, as Republicans would vote to acquit despite the proven facts, establishing a precedent that presidents could abuse their power with impunity as long as their party maintained partisan loyalty.