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Members of the House of Representatives vote on impeachment on Wednesday.

BREAKING NEWS

What You Need to Know About Impeachment

The House of Representatives has charged the president with sparking the violence at the U.S. Capitol last week.

On Wednesday, January 13, the U.S. House of Representatives took a historic step. It voted to impeach President Donald Trump. Impeachment is the first part of a process that can result in a president’s removal from office. 

Here’s a look at how the nation got to this point and what comes next. 

What is impeachment? 

Many people think being impeached means getting fired. That’s not quite right. Impeachment involves charging the president or another U.S. government official with breaking the law or behaving improperly. That might include purposely endangering the country or using his or her position for personal gain.

Only the House of Representatives can impeach someone. If representatives believe a president or another official has done something wrong, they write up one or more formal charges. These are called articles of impeachment. Then all 435 members of the House vote on each article. If more than half the representatives (at least 218) support any article, the person is impeached. 

Why do we have impeachment?

The Framers of the Constitution wanted to make sure presidents wouldn’t abuse their power. Before the American Revolution (1775-1783), the colonists had been ruled harshly by the king of England. They were worried about giving one person too much power. So they divided the federal government into three branches that each have the ability to check, or limit, one another’s power (see “A Balance of Power,” below)

The power of impeachment was given to Congress, the branch that makes the nation’s laws. Congress has impeached only three presidents in U.S. history—including Trump in 2019. But none were convicted (found guilty), and they each remained in office. 

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Why was President Trump impeached a second time? 

The House charged him with “inciting violence against the government of the United States.” Trump was charged with encouraging the rioters who stormed the U.S. Capitol on January 6. On that day, Congress was meeting at the Capitol to officially declare the winner of the 2020 presidential election. 

Nearby, Trump spoke at a big protest rally. During his speech, he falsely claimed that he had won the election. He also urged his supporters to walk to the Capitol. “If you don’t fight,” he said, “you’re not going to have a country anymore.”

After Trump’s speech, thousands of his supporters surrounded the Capitol. They pushed past police and broke into the building. They smashed windows and stole government property. Vice President Mike Pence and members of Congress had to be evacuated for their safety. More than a dozen police officers were injured, and one later died of his injuries. One rioter was shot and later died. Dozens of people have been arrested for their involvement in the riot. 

Still, Trump says he is not guilty of the charge against him. He has stated that his speech was “totally appropriate.”  

Does being impeached mean President Trump will automatically be removed from office?

No. The next step is a trial. It will be similar to courtroom trials you may have seen on TV. But this one will be held in the U.S. Senate. Under the Constitution, the president would be removed from office if at least two-thirds of the Senate—67 senators out of 100—voted that he is guilty.  

But it is unlikely that the trial will begin before Trump’s term as president ends on January 20. On that day, Joe Biden will be sworn in as the 46th U.S. president. 

So what was the point of impeaching Trump if his presidency is almost over?

The representatives who voted to impeach the president say it’s important to hold him responsible for his actions. If Trump is found guilty, the Senate could also vote to prevent him from ever holding office again. (He is said to be considering another presidential run in 2024.)  

Experts say it’s unclear how the trial will go. Some senators have spoken out against putting Trump on trial—especially if it takes place after his term has ended. They say the country is already divided and that convicting Trump would only make the situation worse. But other senators say it is crucial to send a clear message to Trump, future U.S. presidents, and the rest of the world that a president who encourages violence will face serious consequences.

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