22News sits down with political analyst to discuss new insight on second impeachment

(WWLP) 22News is continuing coverage of the second impeachment of President Donald Trump. 

Anchor and I-Team investigator Don Shipman sat down with a local political analyst, Tony Cignoli, who shared new insight. Interview below:

Don: An extraordinary day in American history.  For the first time ever a U.S. president has been impeached twice. 

Don: What happens next? Because this doesn’t mean President Trump is removed from office. 

Tony: Absolutely, what’s important, is that Donald Trump is the first president to be impeached twice. He’s been impeached by the House of Representatives. Certainly, this now goes to the Senate. The question, if they can go to this Senate under Mitch McConnell, and it could sit there until after the new Senate is sworn in. 

Don: Now that the House impeached the president, does this void him of every running for federal office in the future? or does he need to be convicted in the Senate? 

Tony: That’s a great question and that’s something that confuses a lot of people. The impeachment does not stop from running for reelection or any office for that matter. 

Don: The President released a video statement tonight – in it, he calls for calm, and an end to violence.  He makes no mention of his second impeachment.  What are you hearing from your sources in Washington? What’s it like in the White House? 

Tony: It is tough. We keep hearing that there continues to be great confusion. A very depressed President of the United States, who seems more concerned about having lost access to his Twitter account and social media than this impeachment. He looks at the House impeachment as no big deal. He’s a lot more worried about the trial in the Senate. Whenever that is to come. 

Don: Finally, what does President-elect Biden need to do to unite the country? 

Tony: Job one rolling out, getting out the vaccinations which are Wolfield the behind they should be right now where they should be right now. The first 100 days of Joe Biden need to look like the first 100 days of FDR.