Why Donald Trump Impeached?
/When someone hears that a U.S. president got impeached, it usually sounds like something huge and final. Like, they must have done something so bad they had to leave office. But impeachment doesn’t exactly work like that. And with Donald Trump, things got even more complicated because it didn’t happen just once—it happened twice. So if you’ve ever wondered why Donald Trump was impeached, and what it all really meant, here’s a simple breakdown that actually makes sense without all the political confusion.
The First Time Donald Trump Was Impeached Was Mainly About A Phone Call And Some Pressure Involving Ukraine
The first impeachment happened in late 2019 while Trump was still serving his first term. It all started with a phone call between Trump and the president of Ukraine. What got people talking was that during this call, Trump asked the Ukrainian leader to investigate Joe Biden and his son, Hunter Biden. At the time, Joe Biden was running for president, so the big question was whether Trump was using his power to hurt a political rival.
Members of Congress began to get to the bottom of it and contended it was an example of Trump leaning on another nation to get dirt on an individual he was considering running against in the next election. They also noted that Trump had placed an Executive Branch hold on military aid to Ukraine during roughly the same period, which was seen to be saying, essentially, “Do me a favor first if you want money.”
This resulted in two impeachment charges. The first was one of abuse of power, and the second was one of obstructing Congress—essentially stating that he refused to cooperate with the investigation.
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Even Though The House Voted To Impeach Donald Trump, The Senate Did Not Vote To Remove Him From Office
After the House of Representatives impeached him, the process moved to the Senate, where a trial was held. But in order to actually remove a president, two-thirds of the Senate has to agree. That didn’t happen. Most Republicans voted to keep Trump in office, and only one Republican senator voted guilty on one of the charges.
So, yes, Trump was impeached—but he wasn’t removed. He finished his term and even ran again in 2020.
The Second Impeachment Happened After The January 6 Capitol Riot And Was Based On Accusations Of Inciting Violence
Nowhere was it expected that Trump would be impeached a second time, but something changed after the 2020 election. Trump lost to Joe Biden but insisted the election was stolen from him. He persisted in repeating this message again and again, and many of his fans came to accept it.
On January 6, 2021, when electoral votes were officially counted in Congress, a huge mob of Trump supporters swarmed into Congress in Washington. It was brutal and out of hand—there were broken windows and people forcing their way into the building and lawmakers had to be led to safety. It was a scene that shocked the nation.
Just a few days after that, the House impeached Trump a second time. This was on the charge of inciting insurrection. Lawmakers contended that his conduct and speech prior to the riot contributed greatly to what transpired on the day of the riot.
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Trump Was Already Out Of Office By The Time The Senate Held The Trial But The Process Continued Anyway
By the time the Senate held the second impeachment trial in February of 2021, Trump was no longer president. Some thought it was a waste of time to impeach someone who was out of office but other individuals thought it was worthwhile because it would prevent him from running again in the future.
As in the first instance, the Senate failed to secure enough votes to convict him. This time there were a few more Republicans who voted against him but not enough to cross the two-thirds threshold. Again, thus, Trump was acquitted and was not officially penalized and was still eligible to run for president if he so wished.
Whether You Agreed With The Impeachments Or Not, They Definitely Made History And Got People Talking
Trump is the only twice-impeached president in US history and the historical significance alone makes it a big thing. Whether one was on board with the impeachments or considered them political theater, there is no disputing that they were some of the most controversial events in the past few years. On both occasions the impeachment process provoked some deep questions regarding presidential power and responsibility as well as the extent to which an elected official should or should not go. It also demonstrated the extent to which the nation can be polarized by the political process and the way different people perceive the same incident in entirely different ways.
