A Historic Series of Impeachments

Donald Trump⁣ is the only U.S. president to be impeached twice by the House of Representatives. Impeachment ⁤is the process by which a legislative body ⁤levels charges against a government official. The U.S. Constitution grants the House of Representatives the sole power of impeachment, while the Senate has the⁣ sole power to try all impeachments, requiring a two-thirds vote to convict.

First Impeachment: Ukraine Affair (2019)

The first impeachment inquiry began⁣ on September 24, 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 visit. This was perceived as an abuse of power and a solicitation of foreign interference in the 2020 presidential election.

the House Intelligence committee,⁤ led by Chairman Adam⁢ Schiff, conducted the initial ⁢inquiry, holding ⁤public hearings in November‍ 2019. Key witnesses included William ⁣Taylor, the then-U.S. ambassador to ⁤Ukraine, and marie Yovanovitch, ⁤the former⁢ U.S. ⁤ambassador to Ukraine. The House Judiciary Committee then drafted articles of impeachment.

On December 18, 2019, the House of Representatives voted to impeach President 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, 229-198 House of representatives Press Release.

The Senate trial commenced⁢ on January⁣ 16, 2020, presided over by Chief Justice⁣ John Roberts.The Senate acquitted President Trump on both articles on February 5,2020. the vote on abuse of power was 52-48 to acquit, and on obstruction⁤ of Congress, 53-47 to acquit Senate Historical Office.

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 on the day Congress was certifying the Electoral College⁣ votes.

The House of representatives swiftly moved to impeach Trump on a⁤ single article: incitement of insurrection. ‍ The ⁢vote was 232-197 House of Representatives Press Release. Ten Republicans joined Democrats in ⁤voting to impeach.

The Senate trial began on February 9, 2021, after Trump had already left office. This raised⁤ constitutional questions ‍about ⁢whether it was permissible to try a former president. The House impeachment managers⁤ argued ⁤that trump remained accountable for his actions even after leaving office.

On February 13, 2021, the Senate acquitted Trump on the charge of‍ incitement of insurrection. The vote was 57-43 to convict, falling short of the two-thirds majority required. Seven Republicans voted to convict Senate Historical Office.