By Elizabeth DrewMuch as he mocked the process for months, US President Donald Trump very much did not want to be impeached. Yet, for all the commentary about the “momentousness” of the House impeachment vote, the occasion seemed somehow lifeless. The essence of the first impeachment charge was that by holding up congressionally approved military assistance for Ukraine, which is under attack by Russia, Trump was using his government position to benefit himself. US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi had long resisted impeachment, fearing that it could rally Trump’s supporters for the election. She also worried that impeachment might jeopardize the Democrats’ control of the House, all of whose members also face re-election this year.
