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The Impeachment Trials of Donald Trump
A Historic Series of Impeachments
Donald Trump is the only U.S. president to be impeached twice by the House of Representatives. Both impeachments led to trials in the Senate, but he was acquitted in both cases. These events unfolded during a period of intense political polarization and marked a significant strain on American democratic institutions.
First Impeachment: Ukraine Affair (2019)
The first impeachment inquiry began in September 2019, stemming from a whistleblower complaint regarding a july 25, 2019, phone call between President Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. The complaint alleged that Trump had pressured Zelenskyy to investigate Joe Biden and his son, Hunter Biden, in exchange for military aid already approved by Congress and a White House meeting.
The House of Representatives, led by Speaker Nancy Pelosi, formally launched an impeachment inquiry on September 24, 2019, according to a House of Representatives explainer on impeachment. The inquiry was led by the House Intelligence committee, chaired by Adam Schiff. Public hearings were held in November 2019,featuring testimony from key witnesses,including diplomats and national security officials.
on December 18, 2019, the House voted to impeach Trump on two articles: abuse of power and obstruction of Congress. The vote on abuse of power was 230-197, and on obstruction of Congress, it was 229-198, as reported by The New York Times.
Senate Trial (2020)
The Senate trial commenced on January 16, 2020, with Chief Justice John Roberts presiding. House managers, led by Representative Adam Schiff, presented the case for impeachment, while Trump’s defense team, led by Pat Cipollone, argued against conviction. The trial lasted three weeks.
on February 5, 2020, the Senate acquitted Trump on both articles of impeachment. The vote on abuse of power was 52-48 to acquit,and on obstruction of Congress,it was 53-47 to acquit. A two-thirds majority (67 votes) was required for conviction. Senator Mitt Romney was the only Republican to vote to convict Trump on the abuse of power charge, as detailed in NBC News’ live coverage of the vote.
Second Impeachment: January 6th Insurrection (2021)
The second impeachment occurred on January 13, 2021, just one week before the end of Trump’s presidency. This impeachment stemmed from his actions surrounding the January 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol. Trump was accused of inciting an insurrection after repeatedly claiming the 2020 presidential election was stolen and urging his supporters to march to the Capitol.
the House of Representatives voted 232-197 to impeach Trump on a single article: incitement of insurrection, as reported by CNN’s live updates on the impeachment vote. Ten Republicans joined Democrats in voting to impeach.