Impeachment: What does it mean?

Most Americans know that President Donald Trump has been impeached — but what does that really mean?

Impeachment is anything but a simple process. Many key players are involved, complicated political processes are underway, and new evidence and accusations are emerging every day. This article will serve as a guide to answer all of the burning questions about the impeachment.

Why was Trump impeached?

President Trump was impeached by the House of Representatives on Dec. 18 on two different articles: abuse of power and obstruction of Congress. The abuse of power charge comes from evidence alleging that Trump pressured Ukraine to investigate the Biden family by withholding military aid in order to benefit his 2020 re-election campaign. He’s been accused of impeding the impeachment hearings in the House by blocking witnesses and relevant documents from departments like the Department of Justice and the Office of Management and Budget.

What does his impeachment mean?

Although Trump was impeached by the House, he will continue to serve as President of the United States unless the Senate convicts him on one or both articles in the current trial. Trump is only the third president to be impeached, alongside Andrew Johnson and Bill Clinton, but a US president has never been removed from office on the basis of impeachment.

What has to happen for Trump to be removed?

The Senate will conduct a trial overseen by Chief Justice John Roberts of the Supreme Court. Instead of a regular majority vote, the Senate needs a supermajority of 67 in order to vote in favor of removing Trump. However, it is important to note that this is a political process rather than a criminal trial.

How will the Senate vote?

The Senate is currently controlled by a Republican majority of 53 senators. 20 Republicans would have to defect from party expectations and vote with Democrats for Trump’s removal to happen. Although it’s impossible to know exactly what will happen, the vote is predicted to run along party lines.

What does the Senate trial look like? 

Seven impeachment managers appointed by the House will serve as “prosecutors” and present evidence to the Senate. Trump’s legal team will act as the “defense,” but Trump isn’t required to attend the trial. It is still unclear whether or not witnesses will be called to testify.

Why were impeachment articles withheld from the Senate?

Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi sent the articles to the Senate on Wednesday, Jan. 15 and explained her reasoning for holding the articles as long as she did — until after the Christmas holiday season. “We had hoped… that we would’ve seen what the process would be in the Senate,” said Pelosi. House members wanted to ensure a fair trial, as well as buying more time for evidence to surface. “Time has been our friend… it has yielded incriminating evidence,” she said.

What does this mean for the 2020 election?

Pence would become president if Trump is removed, but he has recently been implicated in Trump's crime spree. Even impeached, Trump can still run for re-election in 2020. His approval ratings as president have stayed relatively the same throughout the impeachment process according to FiveThirtyEight. It is still to be seen whether or not his impeachment will help or hurt his chances in the upcoming election. In the incidence that the Senate votes to remove Trump, they could potentially barr him from running for future office, though this seems unlikely.

Cover photo: Wikimedia Commons