{"id":359,"date":"2026-01-05T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2026-01-05T00:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/digitaljournalism.uconn.edu\/balance-of-power\/?p=359"},"modified":"2026-01-07T10:38:34","modified_gmt":"2026-01-07T15:38:34","slug":"impeachments","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/digitaljournalism.uconn.edu\/balance-of-power\/2026\/01\/05\/impeachments\/","title":{"rendered":"Impeachments"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
The Capitol in Washington DC at night on Oct. 21, 2025. Articles of impeachment are introduced and passed by the House of Representatives and tried by the Senate. Photo by Lily Goldblatt<\/p>\n\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/digitaljournalism.uconn.edu\/balance-of-power\/files\/2025\/11\/DC_capitol_at_night_10212025-1024x683.jpg\" src=\"http:\/\/digitaljournalism.uconn.edu\/balance-of-power\/files\/2025\/11\/DC_capitol_at_night_10212025-1024x683.jpg\" alt class=\"wp-image-276\" srcset=\"https:\/\/digitaljournalism.uconn.edu\/balance-of-power\/files\/2025\/11\/DC_capitol_at_night_10212025-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/digitaljournalism.uconn.edu\/balance-of-power\/files\/2025\/11\/DC_capitol_at_night_10212025-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/digitaljournalism.uconn.edu\/balance-of-power\/files\/2025\/11\/DC_capitol_at_night_10212025-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/digitaljournalism.uconn.edu\/balance-of-power\/files\/2025\/11\/DC_capitol_at_night_10212025-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/digitaljournalism.uconn.edu\/balance-of-power\/files\/2025\/11\/DC_capitol_at_night_10212025-2048x1365.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\">
The Capi\u00adtol in Wash\u00ading\u00adton DC at night on Oct. 21, 2025. Arti\u00adcles of impeach\u00adment are intro\u00adduced and passed by the House of Rep\u00adre\u00adsen\u00adta\u00adtives and tried by the Sen\u00adate. Pho\u00adto by Lily Gold\u00adblatt.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

While the House has the sole pow\u00ader to bring about an impeach\u00adment accord\u00ading to Arti\u00adcle 2, Sec\u00adtion 2, the Sen\u00adate has sole pow\u00ader to hold impeach\u00adment tri\u00adals and make a ver\u00addict under Arti\u00adcle 2, Sec\u00adtion 3. If a pres\u00adi\u00addent is being tried, the chief jus\u00adtice of the U.S. Supreme Court pre\u00adsides rather than the vice pres\u00adi\u00addent. A two-thirds major\u00adi\u00adty of the Sen\u00adate is required to con\u00advict. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Only three pres\u00adi\u00addents have faced impeach\u00adment tri\u00adals: Andrew Jack\u00adson, Bill Clin\u00adton and Don\u00adald Trump. Richard Nixon faced an impeach\u00adment inquiry in the House but resigned before it reached the Sen\u00adate. The pres\u00adi\u00addent, vice pres\u00adi\u00addent and any oth\u00ader civ\u00adil offi\u00adcers of the U.S. gov\u00adern\u00adment, includ\u00ading fed\u00ader\u00adal judges, can be impeached accord\u00ading to Arti\u00adcle 2, Sec\u00adtion 4. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Pres\u00adi\u00addent Trump is the only pres\u00adi\u00addent who has been impeached more than once. The first impeach\u00adment arti\u00adcles were intro\u00adduced in the House on Dec. 18, 2019. The arti\u00adcles claimed that Trump \u201csolicit\u00aded the inter\u00adfer\u00adence of a for\u00adeign gov\u00adern\u00adment, Ukraine, in the 2020 Unit\u00aded States Pres\u00adi\u00adden\u00adtial elec\u00adtion\u201d by pres\u00adsur\u00ading Ukraine to announce inves\u00adti\u00adga\u00adtions that ben\u00ade\u00adfit\u00adted his reelec\u00adtion and harmed his polit\u00adi\u00adcal oppo\u00adnents. The arti\u00adcles said that he harmed nation\u00adal secu\u00adri\u00adty and the process of democ\u00adra\u00adcy. They also alleged that Trump obstruct\u00aded Con\u00adgress by direct\u00ading \u201cthe unprece\u00addent\u00aded, cat\u00ade\u00adgor\u00adi\u00adcal, and indis\u00adcrim\u00adi\u00adnate defi\u00adance of sub\u00adpoe\u00adnas issued by the House of Rep\u00adre\u00adsen\u00adta\u00adtives pur\u00adsuant to its \u2018sole Pow\u00ader of Impeach\u00adment.\u2019\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Trump was acquit\u00adted of these charges on Feb. 5, 2020 with 48 guilty votes \u2014 45 Democ\u00adrats, two inde\u00adpen\u00addents and one Repub\u00adli\u00adcan \u2014 and 52 not guilty votes, which were all Repub\u00adli\u00adcan, accord\u00ading to the U.S. Sen\u00adate vote sum\u00adma\u00adry. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

His sec\u00adond impeach\u00adment arti\u00adcles were intro\u00adduced in the House on Jan. 11, 2021, on charges relat\u00aded to the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capi\u00adtol build\u00ading by his sup\u00adport\u00aders.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIncit\u00aded by Pres\u00adi\u00addent Trump, mem\u00adbers of the crowd he had addressed, in an attempt to, among oth\u00ader objec\u00adtives, inter\u00adfere with the Joint Session\u2019s solemn con\u00adsti\u00adtu\u00adtion\u00adal duty to cer\u00adti\u00adfy the results of the 2020 Pres\u00adi\u00adden\u00adtial elec\u00adtion, unlaw\u00adful\u00adly breached and van\u00addal\u00adized the Capi\u00adtol, injured and killed law enforce\u00adment per\u00adson\u00adnel, men\u00adaced Mem\u00adbers of Con\u00adgress, the Vice Pres\u00adi\u00addent, and Con\u00adgres\u00adsion\u00adal per\u00adson\u00adnel, and engaged in oth\u00ader vio\u00adlent, dead\u00adly, destruc\u00adtive, and sedi\u00adtious acts,\u201d the arti\u00adcles alleged. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

There were 57 sen\u00ada\u00adtors who vot\u00aded to con\u00advict \u2014 50 Democ\u00adrats and sev\u00aden Repub\u00adli\u00adcans \u2013 and 43 sen\u00ada\u00adtors, all Repub\u00adli\u00adcans, who vot\u00aded to acquit. Impeach\u00adment tri\u00adals require a two-third major\u00adi\u00adty (67 votes) to con\u00advict, so Trump was acquit\u00adted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2014by Mikay\u00adla Bun\u00adnell, UConn Jour\u00adnal\u00adism<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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EXECUTIVE POWER<\/a><\/div>\n\n\n\n
NATIONAL GUARD<\/a><\/div>\n\n\n\n
REDISTRICTING<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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DUE PROCESS<\/a><\/div>\n\n\n\n
IMPEACHMENT<\/a><\/div>\n\n\n\n
ELECTIONS<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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NO KINGS<\/a><\/div>\n\n\n\n
COURTS<\/a><\/div>\n\n\n\n
TARIFFS<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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Back to Con\u00adsti\u00adtu\u00adtion Main Page<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

While the House has the sole pow\u00ader to bring about an impeach\u00adment accord\u00ading to Arti\u00adcle 2, Sec\u00adtion 2, the Sen\u00adate has sole pow\u00ader to hold impeach\u00adment tri\u00adals and make a ver\u00addict under Arti\u00adcle 2, Sec\u00adtion 3. If a pres\u00adi\u00addent is being tried, the chief jus\u00adtice of the U.S. Supreme Court pre\u00adsides rather than the vice [\u2026]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1086,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"wp_typography_post_enhancements_disabled":false,"ngg_post_thumbnail":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[176],"tags":[138,109,116,137,135,108,80,134,136],"class_list":["post-359","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-constitution","tag-andrew-jackson","tag-article-1","tag-article-2","tag-bill-clinton","tag-congress","tag-constitution","tag-donald-trump","tag-impeachments","tag-richard-nixon"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":363,"url":"https:\/\/digitaljournalism.uconn.edu\/balance-of-power\/2026\/01\/05\/elections\/","url_meta":{"origin":359,"position":0},"title":"Elections","author":"Mikayla Bunnell","date":"January 5, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"\"I Voted\" sticker from California's 2020 election. As the most populous state, California has the most electoral college votes at 54. Photo courtesy of @californiasos_ on Instagram Article 2, Section 1 sets up the electoral college \u2014 the process that actually elects the president, not the popular vote. \u00a0 There\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Constitution"","block_context":{"text":"Constitution","link":"https:\/\/digitaljournalism.uconn.edu\/balance-of-power\/category\/constitution\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/digitaljournalism.uconn.edu\/balance-of-power\/files\/2025\/12\/EXEC-FIRST3-California_Digital_I_Voted_Sticker_2020.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/digitaljournalism.uconn.edu\/balance-of-power\/files\/2025\/12\/EXEC-FIRST3-California_Digital_I_Voted_Sticker_2020.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/digitaljournalism.uconn.edu\/balance-of-power\/files\/2025\/12\/EXEC-FIRST3-California_Digital_I_Voted_Sticker_2020.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/digitaljournalism.uconn.edu\/balance-of-power\/files\/2025\/12\/EXEC-FIRST3-California_Digital_I_Voted_Sticker_2020.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/digitaljournalism.uconn.edu\/balance-of-power\/files\/2025\/12\/EXEC-FIRST3-California_Digital_I_Voted_Sticker_2020.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/digitaljournalism.uconn.edu\/balance-of-power\/files\/2025\/12\/EXEC-FIRST3-California_Digital_I_Voted_Sticker_2020.jpg?resize=1400%2C800&ssl=1 4x"},"classes":[]},{"id":361,"url":"https:\/\/digitaljournalism.uconn.edu\/balance-of-power\/2026\/01\/05\/redistricting\/","url_meta":{"origin":359,"position":1},"title":"Redistricting","author":"Mikayla Bunnell","date":"January 5, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"Texas' 2024 voting district map. 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Originally,\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Constitution"","block_context":{"text":"Constitution","link":"https:\/\/digitaljournalism.uconn.edu\/balance-of-power\/category\/constitution\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/digitaljournalism.uconn.edu\/balance-of-power\/files\/2025\/12\/EXEC-FIRST3-2024_Texas_State_House_election_voteshares.svg_.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/digitaljournalism.uconn.edu\/balance-of-power\/files\/2025\/12\/EXEC-FIRST3-2024_Texas_State_House_election_voteshares.svg_.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/digitaljournalism.uconn.edu\/balance-of-power\/files\/2025\/12\/EXEC-FIRST3-2024_Texas_State_House_election_voteshares.svg_.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/digitaljournalism.uconn.edu\/balance-of-power\/files\/2025\/12\/EXEC-FIRST3-2024_Texas_State_House_election_voteshares.svg_.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/digitaljournalism.uconn.edu\/balance-of-power\/files\/2025\/12\/EXEC-FIRST3-2024_Texas_State_House_election_voteshares.svg_.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/digitaljournalism.uconn.edu\/balance-of-power\/files\/2025\/12\/EXEC-FIRST3-2024_Texas_State_House_election_voteshares.svg_.jpg?resize=1400%2C800&ssl=1 4x"},"classes":[]},{"id":320,"url":"https:\/\/digitaljournalism.uconn.edu\/balance-of-power\/2026\/01\/05\/executive-power\/","url_meta":{"origin":359,"position":2},"title":"Executive Power","author":"Mikayla Bunnell","date":"January 5, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"The White House in Washington, DC, on Oct. 21, 2025. 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