The House of Representatives voted 232-197 to impeach President Donald Trump, with ten Republicans joining the Democrats in favor of the motion.

The ten Republicans who voted to impeach Trump are: Rep. Liz Cheney (Wyo.), Rep. Fred Upton (Mich.), Rep. Tom Rice (S.C.), Anthony Gonzalez (Ohio), Jaime Herrera Beutler (Wash.), John Katko (N.Y.), Adam Kinzinger (Ill.), Peter Meijer (Mich.), Dan Newhouse (Wash.), David Valadao (Calif.).

Cheney, the chair of the House Republican Conference, explained her vote in a statement released on Jan. 12. In it, she states the President is to blame.

“The President of the United States summoned this mob, assembled the mob, and lit the flame of this attack,” Cheney said in her statement. “There has never been a greater betrayal by a President of the United States of his office and his oath to the Constitution.”

Trump was charged with “incitement of insurrection” due to the role he played in the Capitol riot that took place on Jan. 6. 

Senior and co-editor of the yearbook Ella Hutnick said the riot at the capitol showed our nation the importance of a principled leader. Hutnick also said Trump’s spread of misinformation is to blame for the riot.  

“[The riot was] caused by the rampant spread of misinformation by the leader of our country,” Hutnick said. “Ultimately that instance of violence and the human lives lost because of it represented the ugliness of what we invited into the oval office.”  

Nick Wood, the Student Government Vice President of the junior class, said that although he did not support the reasons for which they went to the capitol, he believes the rioters had the right to protest at the capitol. However, he said what ended up happening was unacceptable. 

 “I think they had the riot to protest because it is a right under the constitution, I do not necessarily support the cause they were there for because Biden was the winner of the election,” Wood said. “[But] What happened at the capitol was not ok and I one hundred percent condemn what happened, it is not acceptable and not right.” 

Although the House impeached him, the Senate will need to meet to vote on this matter as well. And, according to a statement from Senate majority leader Mitch McConnell, that will not happen until after Jan. 19. 

“Given the rules, procedures, and Senate precedents that govern presidential impeachment trials, there is simply no chance that a fair or serious trial could conclude before President-elect Biden is sworn in next week,” McConnell said in his statement. 

Instead of focusing on the impeachment, McConnell went on to state he believes Congress should focus on the inauguration of President-elect Joe Biden, which is scheduled to happen on Jan. 20. 

“I believe it will best serve our nation if Congress and the executive branch spend the next seven days completely focused on facilitating a safe inauguration and an orderly transfer of power to the incoming Biden Administration,” McConnell said. 

Despite McConnell’s remarks, Senate minority leader Chuck Schumer said a Senate trial could begin immediately, as long as there is an agreement from McConnell. This would mean the Senate would reconvene for an emergency session. If there is not an agreement from McConnell, Schumer said an impeachment trial will still take place after Jan. 19.

“There will be an impeachment trial in the United States Senate; there will be a vote on convicting the president for high crimes and misdemeanors; and if the president is convicted, there will be a vote on barring him from running again,” Schumer said in a statement. 

Wood said he does not support the impeachment because he feels Trump did not “incite” violence, but rather encouraged his supporters to use their first amendment right to protest for a cause in which they believed. 

 “If you look at the definition of what “inciting” is under the first amendment [Trump] said ‘lets go to the capitol and peacefully and patriotically protest’ he never necessarily incited violence,” Wood said. “He did encourage people to use their rights to go and protest for a cause he believed in and his supporters believe in, but I do not think he necessarily incited violence.” 

Furthermore, Wood said he does not support the impeachment as he feels the country should focus on preparing for Biden and working to become more united. 

“I do not know why there is any reason to bring [the impeachment] up because it is only further separating our country, the country is probably the most separated it has ever been since the Civil War,” Wood said. “So we need to be working on efforts to bring it back together and transition into the new President rather than focusing on the past.” 

Hutnick disagreed with Wood, saying the impeachment will unite voters and show healing between the parties as well as that the morals within the government are still intact. 

“I think if Republican leaders condemn Trump’s behavior by impeaching him, that represents a willingness to reach across the aisle and shared moral values that will maybe unify voters of different parties,” Hutnick said. “So I think it will be a good thing, [impeaching Trump] will be the best way to heal and show that as a country our leaders are getting back some of that moral authority we lost.”