After four tumultuous years in power, Donald Trump has just become the first president in US history to be impeached twice.

Members of the U.

S.

House of Representatives have formally charged him with inciting insurrection after last week's deadly assault by his supporters on the capital.

The impeachment vote was to decide whether or not the president should stand trial.

The answer was yes.

He will now go on trial in the upper house, the Senate, though it's not sure when.

Donald Trump is one of just three presidents to be impeached and now the only one to be impeached twice.

The vote took place in the last half hour.

North America editor John So Paul has the very latest on this extraordinary development.

John Sophie.

This time last Wednesday, there was a riot going on in Congress.

Today.

Donald Trump has been impeached for a second time.

This time next Wednesday, Joe Biden will be president.

Whatever Donald Trump hoped would be his legacy, it can't have been this as a real estate developer.

He loves seeing his name on tall buildings on the Trump Tower on Fifth Avenue, the Trump Hotel in Washington the Trump Golf courses in Scotland.

But now his name will be forever linked with the Congress and Capitol Hill on for ALS.

The wrong reasons on this vote.

The eyes of the moment when Donald Trump carved himself on unwelcome nation American history, becoming the first president to be impeached twice without objection, the motion to reconsider is laid upon the table.

As dawn broke over the nation's capital, the place was somehow unrecognizable.

The landscape had changed.

It now feels like the front line.

A garrison town with the elegant marble corridors, a barracks, the Civil War President Abraham Lincoln looking down on resting servicemen.

But impeachment 2.0, is different, very different.

For a start, the U.

S.

Congress, where this is being heard, is also the crime scene.

Whether Trump supporting mob descended last week, Almighty God wield your sword and penetrate the confusion and discontent of our country on This isn't about some call to a Ukrainian politician.

This is about an assault on the sacred heart of US democracy that Donald Trump is charged with inciting.

The president must be impeached that I believe the president must be convicted by the Senate a constitutional remedy that will ensure that the republic will be safe from this man who was so resolutely determined to tear down the things that we hold dear and that hold us together.

This was not a protest.

This was an insurrection.

This was a well organized attack on our country that was incited by Donald Trump.

Last time round, every Republican voted as a block to back the president.

But now they're splitting three ways.

There are those backing his impeachment.

Today we make history forever.

So choose well.

A vote to impeach Donald Trump means years from now you can look your grandchildren in the eyes and say, I did the right gentlemen.

There were those questioning the impeachment process but not backing Donald Trump.

We need to recognize we're following a flawed process.

We need to recognize that people of goodwill can differ.

We need to recognize that while the House may be done with this matter after today's vote, it will not be done for the country under few.

Who support for Donald Trump is undimmed today, The second annual impeachment of President Trump isn't really about actual words spoken out of rally No, this is all about Madame Speaker, the unbridled hatred of this president.

The president made his first foray out of the White House yesterday, warning somewhat ominously that his supporters would be very angry if impeachment went ahead.

But today, a new statement issued in light of reports of more demonstrations, I urge that there must be no violence, no lawbreaking on no vandalism of any kind.

That is not what I stand for on it's not what America stands for.

I call on all Americans to help ease tensions on calm tempers.

Thank you.

Today, Airbnb announced that it was canceling all bookings in Washington for next week.

Some hotels are doing the same to stop potential rioters coming in.

The capital is becoming a citadel on just on the security situation.

There are now more troops deployed in Washington D.

C than there are US troops in Iraq and Afghanistan combined.

So what happens next?

Well, the trial will take place in the Senate on Mitch McConnell, the current Republican majority leader, says.

It's not going to happen before Joe Biden takes over as president, so there's gonna be some delay on that will be raised.

The question in many people's minds.

Well, what's the point of going ahead with this?

If Donald Trump has already left office?

Well, one is.

It would could be bar him from ever holding office again.

But the point that a Democratic congressman made today when asked that question said, Yeah, it may be late, but it is never too late to do the right thing.

North America Editor John So Paul in Washington, Thank you.