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By Khaleda Rahman
National Correspondent
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Impeachment is a process written into the U.S. Constitution and the most powerful check that Congress has on the executive branch.
Donald Trump is the only U.S. president who has twice been impeached. He was first impeached by the House in 2019 over his dealings with Ukraine, though the Senate voted to acquit him.
He was impeached again in the final days of his first term over his role in the January 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol, but the Senate again voted to acquit. That result, which came after Trump had already left office, left the door open for him to run for the presidency again in 2024.
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Now, just days into his second term, Congress is being called on to impeach Trump for a third time.
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Impeachment Applies Only to Sitting Presidents
The Constitution gives the House of Representatives the power to file articles of impeachment against the president, vice president and other federal officials for treason, bribery and "other high crimes and misdemeanors." If the House adopts the articles by a simple majority vote, the official has been impeached.
Impeachment only applies to those who are in office. Since Trump is once again president, the House can move to impeach him.
No Limit on the Number of Impeachments
The Constitution does not set a limit on how many times a president can be impeached.
Although Trump was impeached twice during his first term, there is no reason that he can't be impeached again if there are new allegations that prompt the House to file articles of impeachment.
Conviction Requires Senate Approval
While the House has the power to impeach a federal official, only the Senate has the ability to convict and remove them from office after holding a trial. A conviction requires a two-thirds majority vote. If convicted, the official is removed from office.
Even if the House were to impeach Trump again, he would almost certainly avoid conviction in the Senate, where Republicans hold a 53-seat majority.
To date, no president has ever been forced from the White House through impeachment. But former Republican President Richard Nixon resigned from office in 1974 as the House was preparing to vote on articles of impeachment against him.
If Impeached and Convicted, Trump Could Be Barred From Office
If Trump were convicted in the Senate and forced from office, senators could also vote to disqualify him from holding any elected office again in the future.
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