Tulsi Gabbard voted 'present' for Impeaching Trump

Contrary to party line, US Democrat's presidential candidate Tulsi Gabbard voted "present" on impeaching President Donald Trump on Wednesday.

Gabbard claimed in a statement that she was "standing in the center" with her "present" vote, the Hill reported.

"I could not in good conscience vote against impeachment because I believe President Trump is guilty of wrongdoing," Gabbard said.

"I also could not in good conscience vote for impeachment because removal of a sitting president must not be the culmination of a partisan process, fueled by tribal mosities that have so gravely divided our country," Gabbard continued.

She argued that it would send a strong message to this president and future presidents that their abuses of power will not go unchecked while leaving the question of removing Trump from office to the voters to decide.

CNN reported that a majority of the US House of Representatives voted to support the two articles of impeachment against President Trump.

Trump faced two articles of impeachment -- abuse of power and obstruction of Congress. On the first article of impeachment -- abuse of power -- 230 voted in favour and 197 voted against it. The vote on obstruction of Congress was 229-198, with three Democrats voting against the second article and one voting present.

Gabbard was not the only Democrat to break from the mostly party-line vote. Representatives Collin C. Peterson of Minnesota and Jeff Van Drew of New Jersey voted against both articles of impeachment, while Representative Jared Golden of Maine opposed only the article accusing the president of the obstruction of Congress.

The House voted primarily along party lines to impeach Trump on abuse of power and obstruction of Congress, reported CNN.

It has been nearly three months since House Speaker Nancy Pelosi announced that Democrats would launch an impeachment inquiry after an anonymous whistleblower complaint alleged that Trump had solicited interference in a July phone call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to help his 2020 reelection campaign.

Democrats said their investigation revealed a months-long campaign directed by the President and carried out by his personal attorney Rudy Giuli for Ukraine to announce an investigation into former Vice President Joe Biden and his son Hunter Biden, along with the 2016 election.

The President withheld US security aid and a one-on-one meeting that Zelensky sought, they say, and then obstructed the investigation by defying congressional subpoenas across the administration.

( With inputs from ANI )