“The impeachment of any sitting president is a deeply tragic event for our nation. However, through his own actions, President Donald Trump left the House of Representatives with no possible alternative.
“Donald Trump violated his oath to protect and defend the Constitution of the United States when he withheld military aid from an ally to force their government into interfering in a United States election by attacking one of the President’s political rivals.
“If any president is allowed to wield the power of the United States government to secure his own re-election, our nation will have taken its first major steps away from democracy and towards autocracy. It is imperative that we hold Donald Trump accountable for his brazenly unconstitutional and undemocratic actions, lest we risk normalizing such behavior.
“I applaud the United States House of Representatives for taking decisive action to stand up for the rule of law and defend our Constitution. The impeachment of President Trump brings me no joy, but it was necessary to ensure we remain a democracy where nobody is above the law.”