The process to impeach a president of the United States, including Donald Trump, is governed by the U.S. Constitution and involves several steps:
- Initiation in the House of Representatives:
- Impeachment proceedings begin in the House of Representatives.
- A member of the House can introduce a resolution to impeach the president or demand an inquiry.
- The House may conduct investigations and an impeachment inquiry, often led by the House Judiciary Committee.
- If evidence of impeachable offenses is found, the Judiciary Committee drafts articles of impeachment outlining the charges.
- The full House then votes on these articles of impeachment. A simple majority is needed to approve any article.
- If at least one article receives a majority vote, the president is officially impeached. This is essentially an indictment, not removal from office.
- Trial in the Senate:
- Once the House impeaches the president, the process moves to the Senate.
- The Senate conducts a trial to determine whether to convict the president on the articles of impeachment.
- The Chief Justice of the United States presides over the trial when the president is impeached.
- Senators serve as jurors, hearing evidence and arguments from both sides.
- For conviction and removal from office, a two-thirds majority of Senators present must vote to convict.
- Conviction results in removal from office and can also include disqualification from holding future office.
- Historical Context and Outcome:
- Donald Trump was impeached twice by the House but was acquitted by the Senate both times.
- Impeachment charges have included things like abuse of power and incitement of insurrection.
- Removal of a president via impeachment is rare and requires strong bipartisan Senate support, which historically has been difficult to achieve.
- Other Removal Options:
- Alternatively, the 25th Amendment can be invoked by the Vice President and Cabinet to declare the president unable to discharge duties.
In summary, to impeach Trump or any president requires a majority vote in the House for articles of impeachment, followed by a two-thirds vote in the Senate for conviction and removal. If these thresholds are not met, the president remains in office.
