this was not a protest this was an insurrection the u.s. house of representatives opens an impeachment session against president donald trump for the 2nd time. but only clark this is al jazeera live from doha also coming out thousands of national guard members lined the streets of washington and filled the u.s. capitol amid threats of further violence. new york mayor bill de blasio says the city is canceling its contracts with the trump organization hotrod supporters rioted at the nation's capital. and b m

b cancels all reservations held for the week of the inauguration same militias are attempting to travel to washington to disrupt the event. so it is 700 g.m.t. that is 11 in the morning in washington d.c. where an unprecedented session is underway on capitol hill the u.s. house of representatives has pressed forward with a move to impeach president donald trump for a 2nd time a congress currently voting on the rules surrounding in a peaceful resolution it is a procedural step and the next lawmakers will start debating the actual impeachment challenges that's going to be 1415 minutes or so at democrats accusing charm of encouraging his supporters to attack the capitol building a week ago and they're hoping to have charged him with incitement of insurrection where u.s. democratic representative jim mcgovern has accused trump of inciting an insurrection

. this was not a protest this was and surrender. this was a well organized attack on our country that was incited by donald trump domestic terrorists broke into the united states capitol that day and it's a miracle more people didn't die as my colleagues and i were being evacuated safely i never ever will forget what i saw when i look at the eyes of those attackers right in the speaker's lobby there i saw evil mr speaker our country came under attack not from a foreign nation but from what but from what then these were not protesters these were not patriots these were traitors these were domestic terrorists mr speaker and they were acting under the orders of donald trump democratic congresswoman says a donald trump remains a threat to democracy so long as he's in office let us not mince words about what happened last week it was

a violent attempt to interrupt our democratic process it was a targeted blow at the most essential process that makes us a democracy it was a direct and specifically incited by the president of the united states for years we have been asked to turn a blind eye to the criminality corruption and play in this regard to the rule of law by the tyrant president we have in the white house we as a nation cannot longer look away the president not only incited an insurrection against our government but has in word and deed let our rebellion we cannot simply move past this or turn the page for us to be able to survive as a functioning democracy there has to be accountability we must impeach and

remove this president from the office immediately so that he cannot be a threat to our democracy. one of the men will go live to alan fischer who's that white house for us because let's start with how did you custer his company little following these falls tony events so heidi this 12 noon in washington d.c. of the procedural votes on the rules has taken place for the simple. next is the impeachment vote itself that's right. that's right but prior to that final vote there will be 2 hours of debate so expect more heated remarks on the floor as we've already seen foreshadowed earlier this morning there are 2 remarkable things about this impeachment as opposed to the last one nick one is how quickly democrats are proceeding as you'll recall when trump was impeached for his handling of the crane that took weeks there were hearings there were witnesses none of that this time

around we're going directly to that impeachment article vote by the end of the day the other difference here is that republicans are not united in their backing of trouble this time around in fact there are 5 republicans in the house who have gone on the record saying that they will vote to impeach this is an article that already has more than $200.00 democrats who are has signed on as co-sponsor and so it is almost certain that trump will by the end of the day become the 1st president to be impeached ever in the u.s. for the 2nd time now following that vote tonight that's when things get a little bit more murky because as you know tranced time in office runs out in just 7 days and a senate is out of session at this moment so there are a lot of uncertainties as far as whether or not the senate majority leader mitch mcconnell can call that chamber back into session to hold

a rapid trial there is some reporting that that is an option that's under consideration or in the more likely scenario that a trial would not begin until after trump leaves office obviously then impeachment . in a conviction there would not result in removing the president from office but it could bar him from ever running for federal office again and there is some indication that even in the senate which will soon be controlled by democrats but still requires a 2 thirds majority to convict in a huge win trial that even their conviction is a possibility this time around with mitch mcconnell again the leading republican in the senate reportedly being pleased that this impeachment action is happening and that he thinks this is a good way to purge the g.o.p. of donald trump. we're hearing all sorts of new information coming to said a tweet from little series of tweets from the republican senator lindsey graham of

course a steadfast backer of the president donald trump killed last week a week ago when he pretty much renounced him. but now saying that supporting the impeachment of president trump he tweets. under these circumstances will do great damage to the institutions of government and could invite further violence at a time when the president is calling for calm what would we make of the. first of all lindsey graham was on the flight with president trump down to texas for his event at the border wall touting that as an accomplishment so you wonder what was said between those 2 lindsey graham as you pointed out along so a friend of president of but who markedly said on the senate floor just last week that he was quote done with the president apparently that he's not done after all coming back to the president's defense but you also know that in this latest tweet from graham he didn't go as far as to defend the president's actions in fact not

many have that the republican defense against impeachment thus far has centered around 2 arguments one that this impeachment is a right. process that should require more time and deliberation and 2 republicans say that this will so more division in the country at a time when unity is greatly needed and there is some evidence that indeed there in this country does remain just as divided today as it did when trump was impeached a year ago of a recently conducted poll by c.b.s. found that 55 percent of americans want this impeachment to proceed that's really an echo of what we saw last time when the country was about evenly divided on the 1st impeachment but to that argument of republicans saying that this impeachment will just further divide the country democrats are saying that those are crocodile tears saying that this the division was was incited by president trump was

encouraged by trump himself and repeating the lies that this election was stolen from him and that republicans who have also repeated those lies and still to this day such as jim jordan one of trump's most steadfast supporters in the house who has still refused to say that the election was not stolen at that type of attitude and repeated remarks is what's indeed inflaming tensions further in this country heidi thanks for the incomparable hill more later from you heidi thank you for the time being. is live at the white house and. you've been following events there in these as things are moving pretty fast and we understand that the vice president arrived at the white house did want to go. yeah i was just actually taking a look to see if the president was in new oval office and he was to just a couple of minutes ago we can tell because there's a marine in a dress uniform who stands outside the entrance there and that's when we know the

president is in new york will he has since moved just in the last couple of minutes so we think that of my parents was in the west wing then he was clearly having a meeting with donald trump in the oval office and hopefully we might get a readout of that in the next couple of hours or so we've certainly nor official events for dong trump to horse today here at the white house according to the press office excuse me he is making calls and holding meetings for the benefit of the american people but there's no doubt that one eye will be on events in the hill the noise that might pence is not going to invoke the 25th amendment the vice president ruled that out in a letter to nancy pelosi overnight saying that it would simply be wrong and it would almost be used as punishment against the president essentially saying that the constitution is pretty clear what the 25th amendment can be used for and that is really if someone is infirm and incapable to carry out a job and he doesn't see donald trump as that so he will not be invoking the 25th

and donald trump believes that he will get through 7 more days and remember this time next wednesday joe biden will be president. so he thinks that he'll be able to hold on for the next 7 days there's no immediate threat of him being removed from office because 1st of all the impeachment hearing is going through and he believes he's got support among republicans although maybe not as much as he'd hoped but of course it could be next after the inauguration before the senate get showing to beating that and then there is the question of whether or not a president can be impeached after he leaves office they've done it with judges but this would certainly be a 1st if the actually went after a president and then the 3rd option of course is will donald trump resign in the way that richard nixon when he realized he'd lost republicans. port and the host decided that it would be better for him to resign and off he went in marine one taking off from the south lawn will donald trump do that well there's been some

talk that that is a possibility but as i've said before if you look at donald trump over the last 4 years given that he tends to dig in and fight back in situations like that resignation doesn't seem like an option although having said that donald trump always has the ability to surprises in the day and just to demonstrate just how precarious things are right now as we look ahead to the inauguration in a week's time in 7 days time we're hearing that the secret service will take command of security preparations at the capitol and other federal buildings as many as 15000 national guard troops some of the move beyond thousands of police in touch glasses lots of still fencing around the place a reason these are really extraordinary times. you know just getting here to the white house this morning it was a whole different battle because. the close down the roods several blocks in more star actions and that's really early for an inauguration yet it's

difficult to get to the white house during an inauguration week but given that we're a full week away it's certainly cause traffic chaos and i saw a lot of people running up because they were late getting to the white house we certainly cut it fine this morning because we were expecting those restrictions to be put in place muriel bowser of course is talking about extending the coronavirus restrictions here in washington d.c. she's the mayor of the city and she thinks that that might be able to tamp down the expectation of people coming in to washington air b.n. b. the place that rents rooms well they say they're canceling all bookings for the week ahead that makes it harder for people to get to the city some hotels will obviously still be taking bookings but not as many as they would have been taking in a normal inauguration and then there is the security question as well as simply the f.b.i. keeping an eye on what is going on and we saw a video over the weekend and it was being shared on social media of people who had

been questioned by the f.b.i. and other organizations other law enforcement organizations who were then planning to fly home and then suddenly discovering they were on a no no fly list the not might be the case for several people if they turn up at the airport to try and get to washington this weekend because there are reports that there are going to be protests not just here in washington d.c. this weekend but of course the cities to security incredibly tight much tighter than i've seen in iraq to an inauguration before here in washington d.c. and allan the talk of the inauguration and the incoming president joe biden of course what are we hearing from him and should the laws that he would want presumably is is an impeachment to take away from the 1st days of his his term. well he's been very i know stick on the whole idea of impeachment he's left it to congress saying it's really up to them to decide jim clyburn who is the man who saved joe biden's presidential career because he is a representative from south carolina it was him that gave him his indorsement in

the south carolina primary if joe biden hadn't won the south carolina primary back in march joe biden would never have got close to the nomination for the democratic party and he is suggesting that perhaps it would be better for congress to wait at least the 1st $100.00 days and that was a milestone set up by a date j.f.k. he decided that the 1st 100 days would be very important in his presidency and that has become a benchmark then for other presidents what have you achieved in your force 100 days to jim clyburn is saying let's get the force $100.00 days out of the way and then tonight attention to donald trump so nothing gets in the way of what joe biden has to do because remember if if the senate has to start having hearings about whether or not to impeach joe biden they're not paying attention to the very important issue of confirming his nominees for all the cabinet posts no apparently joe biden

is that a discussion with mitch mcconnell to see if they can spend a morning on impeachment and then perhaps a more an afternoon doing the nominations but i'm sure many in the biden camp would really quite like to get the senior people and places quickly as they can so you're talking about secretary of state department of defense and of course health and human services will be hugely important because he has said that in the 1st 100 days he wants to get 100000000 vaccines out into the country and he's got to make sure that the logistics to do that will work as well so he has made this promise that he's going to tackle coronavirus head on as soon as he goes into the oval office so it doesn't want distractions such as should we impeach donald trump so that me well. i mean that for 100 days after he leaves office donald trump is free and easy but of course he's also facing legal action from places like new york who are cutting business ties with them but there are criminal investigations underway into donald trump and the donald trump empire so he has that to look forward to

because of course while he was president they were acting on the basis of this memo that was circulated in the 1970 s. the sitting presidents can't be impeached for any crimes but the other part of that memo which also hasn't been quoted a great deal is that presidents can't sit in judgment of their selves so that the talk that donald trump might give himself apart and comes up but it would be very difficult for him to do so busy week ahead for donald trump we're expecting a few more executive orders. particularly targeting tech companies were expecting perhaps a raft of pardons but all of this may be put on hold simply because he's watching the events on the hill completely. yes thanks very much an official there the white house let's take this all we can speak to brenda one up on who's the author of the impeach is of the trial of andrew johnson and the dream of a just nation and she joins us by skype from new york welcome to the program these

are extraordinary times aren't they extraordinary times and you do wonder how all these events will be viewed in the coming years in history. i suppose so i mean we are so much involved in what's going on day by day hour by hour it's almost impossible to think that we'll be able to have a perspective on that from a historical trying to you know perhaps in 6 months perhaps this your correspondent said in a 100 days after by is not great but current events are so unpredictable predictable that it's very hard to see it kind of through line historical through line except of course that through minus donald trump and actions while the president and particularly in the last week give us a historical perspective if you would how the hell do you see what we're seeing here and unfolding at the u.s. house of representatives the capitol hill what happened last week how does this

compare with what's going on in previous u.s. history. well in increased u.s. history to be 1st president to ever to be in peace was to enter johnson in 868 and that was an election year but there were quite a number of that was in february of 08 and 68 that it was known peached and there was an election in november here we have the question of a president already having been elected that is joe biden the president elect so it's a very different situation especially since john tromp will soon be the only president to been impeached twice and once you are impeached you aren't peached in other words whatever happens in the senate whether the senate acquits him or kinetics now the impeachment actually standing arms and so that is rather remarkable nixon

evaded beth 5 resigning but donald trump will have to face to impeachment and will be the only president to have to face that what is your sense a very as you say the danger in all of this is it does the tool of a been to fuel the division that is very evident to the united states right now. you know very little makes me laugh these days but that certainly makes me laugh because i don't see how the division could be more extreme than it is right now trying my calling in here which may be slightly unusual and impeachment in the house actually is an opportunity to hear the country by a count of holding accountable a president who really wanted to topple an election that was creamy and share it so in that particular sense that congress is taking action the house is taking action

that donald trump himself would not take which is to say concede the election or at the very least to go out and tell his supporters and the rioters to calm down to go home to not you know and to realize that he what he actually lost and chill see them another time. what do you think has led to this move to is it just donald trump but his people the populous a nationalist points of view or has it been a long time coming to be molded for some years. well it's probably been molded for some years i think christer parade i had to be f.b.i. i think it was last september and may not be right about that actually i testified before congress that one of the most. powerful threats to the united states was domestic homegrown terrorists and which has nothing to do with international

terrorism domestic and its own crowd and we've seen now trying to. terrorism in the actions of state timothy mcveigh so it's been part of the united states for a long time but it seems to me again and this is my own point of view it seems to me that it is and she'll talk about fueling divisiveness not just by donald trump does he's suggesting but by the people who have been able to and refused like him to concede an election don't you basically say that we have that free democratic society and it's unfortunate when you're who's but some people the way the system is set up is there are more than one winner of an election and i think that's what senator romney was saying in just last week matter so i think it's a complicated situation in general need a historical perspective but those kinds of trench groups or militias or terrorists

that are homegrown if they're not allowed to have a voice and worth an oyster actually act out their very malicious intentions ok that's what both of you are talking about you're talking about specific groups and sure there are enough of them but there are also 7000000 people who voted for donald trump then a little bird although. no no not at all not at all and there weren't 70 some 1000000 people story in the capital so of course i mean there are people who admired the policies there. trungpa and the republicans who put in place whether it's in the judiciary or in other matters and that's their right to vote in that particular way and when you vote realize it hasn't happened in 2016 or 2012 and certainly in the year 2000 when bush and gore around that inch back your

vote will count but it doesn't mean that just because you voted you get that wish that you would not so those 70000000 people had every right to vote and they did vote it's just so happens that 70 some 7 and more than but it's also happens that 7000000 more people voted for it justified and and that is a substantial difference and it's also of course an electoral college and the difference in the electoral college votes are you know pretty. well you know pretty decisive trusted if you get your perspective it brenda thanks very much for that brenda wonderful thanks very much well ok we're going to mit back to capitol hill i think the house is back in session now b. we were predicting that the vote or the debate would start on the picture proceedings at $1715.00 so 9 minutes on from that. it is now 24 minutes past

12 past midday in washington d.c. so let's have a listen article of impeachment exhibited by the house of representatives of the united states of america and the name of itself and of the people of the united states of america against donald john tromp president of the united states of america and maintenance and support of its impeachment against him for high crimes and misdemeanors. article one incitement of insurrection the constitution provides that the house of representatives shall have the sole power of impeachment and that the president shall be removed from office on impeachment for and conviction of treason bribery or other crimes and misdemeanors further section 3 of the 14th amendment to the constitution prohibits any person who has engaged in insurrection or rebellion against the united states from holding in the office under the united states and his conduct while president of the united states and in violation of his constitutional oath faithfully to execute the office of the president of the united

states and to the best of his ability preserve protect and defend the constitution of the united states and in violation of his constitutional duty to take care that the laws be faithfully executed donnel john trump engaged in high crimes and misdemeanors by inciting violence against the government of the united states and that on january 6th 2021 pursuant to the 12th amendment to the constitution of the united states the price president of the united states. the house of representatives and the senate met at the united states capitol for a joint session of congress to count the votes of the electoral college and the months preceding the joint session president trump repeatedly issued false statements asserting that the presidential election results were the product of widespread fraud and should not be accepted by the american people or certified by state or federal officials shortly before the joint session commenced president

trump addressed a crowd at the ellipse in washington d.c. there he reiterated false claims that we won this election and we won it by a landslide he also willfully made statements that and contacts and courage and foreseeability resulted in lawless action at the capitol such as if you don't fight like hell you're not going to have a country any more sensitive by president trump members of the crowd he had addressed and in an attempt to among other objectives interfere with the joint sessions a solemn constitutional duty to certified results of the 2020 presidential election unlawfully breached and vandalized the capitol and killed law enforcement personnel minister members of congress the vice president and congressional personnel and engaged in other violent deadly destructive and sedation. president trance conduct on january 6th 2021 followed his prior efforts to subvert and obstruct the

certification of the results of the 2020 presidential election those prior efforts included a phone call on january 2nd 2021 during which president trump urged the secretary of state of georgia brad reference berger to find enough votes to overturn the georgia presidential election results and threaten secretary if he failed to do so and all of this president trump gravely endangered the security of the united states and its institutions of government he threaten the integrity of the democratic system interfered with the peaceful transition of power and imperil a co-equal branch of government he thereby be trade his trust as president to the manifest injury of the people of the united states where for donald john trump by such conduct has demonstrated that he will remain a threat to the national security democracy and the constitution if allowed to remain in office and has acted in a manner grossly incompatible with self governance and the rule of law all donald

john trump that's warrants impeachment and trial removal from office and disqualification to hold and enjoy any office of honor trust or profit under the united states. the resolution shall be debatable for 2 hours equally divided and controlled by the chair and the ranking minority member of the committee on the judiciary the gentleman from new york mr naylor and the gentleman from ohio mr jordan will each control one hour the chair recognizes the gentleman from new york mr naplan better speaker i ask unanimous consent that all members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and insert extraneous material to $24.00 without objection. but a speaker i yield one minute to the distinguished speaker of the house the general 80 from california ms pelosi the gentleman from california is yielded one minute

thank you madam speaker i thank the gentleman for yielding and for his leadership madam speaker and his anger will address to our predecessors in congress and 862 president abraham lincoln spoke of the duty of the patriot in an hour of decisive crisis for the american people fellow citizens he said we cannot escape history we will be remembered in spite of ourselves no personal significance or in significance can spare or one or another of us the fiery trial through which we pass will write us down an honor or dishonor to the largest latest.