impeachment

Impeachment is the constitutional process by which Congress may charge and remove federal officials, including the president, for “Treason, Bribery, or other high Crimes and Misdemeanors.” Under Article I, the U.S. House of Representatives impeaches, meaning it brings charges, by a simple majority vote, and the U.S. Senate then conducts a trial; conviction and removal require a two-thirds supermajority of senators present. Impeachment is a political and constitutional remedy distinct from criminal prosecution, and an official may be impeached, tried, and acquitted without any criminal proceeding. Donald Trump was impeached twice, in December 2019 over the Ukraine affair and in January 2021 for incitement of insurrection, and was acquitted by the Senate both times due to the impeachment vote falling short of the supermajority threshold.