So you might not have wanted to admit it but, come on, what exactly happens with an impeachment?
What’s the process?
How’s it work?
What does it all mean? Don’t act like you know.
First of all, impeachment is the process by which a lawmaking body charges a government official. It doesn’t remove them from office, it just sends those charges to a trial.
In the United States, the House of Representatives votes on the articles of impeachment and the Senate does the trial. In U.S. history, 19 people have been impeached by the House. From senators to judges to presidents.
The first presidential impeachment inquiry started against John Tyler in his second year in office in 1842. Congressional leaders of the Whig party, his own party, didn’t like his use of the presidential veto. But, the Whigs got voted out and could never pursue impeachment.
The first official impeachment came against President Andrew Johnson in 1868. Johnson had done numerous things to get on the nerves of the Republicans in the House of Representatives. But, his firing of Secretary of War Edwin Stanton sealed the deal. The House impeached, and the Senate acquitted him by one vote.
The next impeachment inquiry started against President Richard Nixon in 1973 for a little scandal called Watergate. But, he resigned before an impeachment vote could be brought to the floor.
President Bill Clinton was impeached by the House in 1998 for lying under oath about a sexual relationship he had with intern Monica Lewinsky. That went to the Senate and he was acquitted.
So, what does the future hold for President Donald Trump?
Speaker Pelosi started an impeachment inquiry. 6 House committees will investigate and send their strongest case to the judiciary committee. If they pass it, it goes to a floor vote. If that passes the House, the Senate will hold a trial, and the Senate needs a 2/3 majority vote to remove President Trump from office.
Something that has never happened to a president in our history… yet.
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