On Wednesday night, after about three months of deliberation, the House voted to impeach President Donald J. Trump. He was found guilty on two counts: abuse of power and obstruction of Congress. He’s the third president to ever be successfully impeached, after Andrew Johnson and Bill Clinton, neither of whom was removed from power. Trump may not be removed from power either; the Senate, who will now have to hold their own trial, is dominated by Republicans, most of whom march in lockstep with the president.
But forget that for now: Donald Trump, the most controversial U.S. president since at least Richard Nixon, has been impeached. And while some of social media mourned the news, others drank it in.
Some, including Bette Midler, kept it simple.
Impeached.
— bettemidler (@BetteMidler) December 19, 2019
https://twitter.com/KwikWarren/status/1207480632798044160
Some cheered offline.
https://twitter.com/PWH3/status/1207486999126577153
Some compared him unfavorably to previous impeached presidents.
Say what you will about Bill Clinton but, at least he got impeached over sex… Trump just fucked himself… #IMPEACHMENTVOTE #ImpeachmentDay #Impeached
— Cyrus McQueen (@CyrusMMcQueen) December 19, 2019
Some congratulated him, in a sense.
Congratulations on finally getting somewhere, all on your own, with no help from your dad or Russia.#TrumpImpeachment #impeached https://t.co/AJAy4AtOkK
— John Fugelsang (@JohnFugelsang) December 19, 2019
Others summoned Obama.
Trump got #impeached? Guess who never got impeached??? pic.twitter.com/JJG0a51eju
— Veronica McDonald🗣 (@Purify_toast17) December 19, 2019
Oh, and finally Megan Amran’s committed, long con joke really paid off.
Today was the day Donald trump finally became president
— Megan Amram (@meganamram) December 19, 2019
Some dedicated the news to the many whose lives he’s harmed.
This is for all the victims of sexual assault… #impeached https://t.co/5VfGLrHGsh
— Natasha Rothwell (@natasharothwell) December 19, 2019
Others found the moment sad, if only because of all the damage Trump has caused since first entering the presidential election.
I expected this moment but I expected to be more joyful. Maybe jump up & do a happy dance. Maybe.
But I’m just sad and heartbroken. What he’s left behind can’t be erased with this vote.
The bigotry and xenophobia he’s emboldened. The lies.
It will take generations to recover.
— Alyssa Milano (@Alyssa_Milano) December 19, 2019
As the impeachment vote was underway, the president was doing what he does the most after golfing: going to rallies filled with his dedicated supporters. Perhaps you were wondering what he was telling them as Nancy Pelosi announced the big news?
https://twitter.com/ParkerMolloy/status/1207472580707463168
But Trump was doing fine, doing what he does best: Rapping to his followers, making jokes about how the late Rep. John Dingell — whose widow, also a representative, voted to impeach him — may be in hell.
Classssssssy. https://t.co/7akWubSrOe
— Kevin M. Kruse (@KevinMKruse) December 19, 2019
But perhaps the best words about what happened the night of December 18, 2019 were made over three years ago.
https://twitter.com/RBReich/status/1207508891979808768