Decoded: Donald Trump impeached, again; here's what happens next

The US House of Representatives on Wednesday voted 232-197 to impeach President Donald Trump for his alleged role in inciting rioters who stormed the Capitol building on January 6. This is the second time Trump has been impeached, a first in the history of American politics. Here is a breakdown of this latest development and its varied implications. 

What are the charges against Trump?

On Monday, House Democrats filed a single article of impeachment — “incitement of insurrection” — against Trump. On January 6, hours before his supporters laid siege to the Capitol, where the Congress was conducting a joint session to certify the election outcome, Trump had addressed some of them, claiming election fraud and urging them to “fight like hell”. He even promised to accompany them, but eventually opted not to. The rampage in Washington left at least five people, including a police officer, dead. 

Thousands of angry supporters of President Donald Trump stormed the US Capitol and clashed with police. Photo: Reuters

What happens next?

Impeachment proceedings against a sitting president constitute political wrongdoing — it is not a criminal process. The House of Representatives is only the first step in this process. Impeachment proceedings may be initiated by any House member, with the speaker then deciding whether it has the merit to be taken forward.  

On this occasion, 210 Democrats introduced the latest article of impeachment. Ten Republicans, members of Trump’s own party, also voted against him, stating that he is a threat to “national security, democracy and the constitution if allowed to remain in office...” The members also mentioned the constitution’s 14th Amendment, stating that it “prohibits any person who has ‘engaged in insurrection or rebellion against’ the United States” from holding office.

Now the matter will be taken up by the Senate, where Trump will face a trial. The trial will be presided over by the US chief justice and will require a two-third majority for Trump to be deemed officially impeached. If that doesn’t happen, then a president is considered impeached but is not removed. 

Does it make sense to impeach Trump, given that he has already been voted out of office? 

The Senate is likely to commence after recess on January 19, which means that Trump’s fate will most probably not be known until after he leaves the White House on January 20. For now, he can continue in his position. However, if convicted by the Senate, the move can have long-term ramifications on Trump’s political career: He may be banned from holding any federal office in the future, among other punishments, such as losing out on Secret Service cover, a fat retirement pension and related benefits. The latter is one of the key reasons why the House pursued his impeachment so aggressively. 

Members of the National Guard were deployed at the US Capitol ahead of the House vote

Why was he impeached the first time? 

In December 2019, the House had moved to impeach Trump for his alleged involvement in illegally coercing Ukraine and other countries into providing damaging narratives about then Democratic presidential primary candidate, Joe Biden, as well as promoting a dubious conspiracy theory that it was Ukraine, and not Russia, that had interfered in the 2016 presidential election. 

The House cited two articles of impeachment against Trump: “Abuse of power” and “obstruction of Congress”. He was bailed out by the Senate, with neither count able to command a majority.

Which other US presidents have been impeached?

Trump is the first president to be impeached twice: Andrew Johnson in 1868 and Bill Clinton in 1998. Johnson faced impeachment after tussling with a Republican-dominated House over “the rights of those who had been freed from slavery”. Clinton had to endure a similar ordeal for the apparent cover-up related to his affair with White House intern Monica Lewinsky. Both were saved by the Senate, and completed their respective terms in office. 

In 1974, Richard Nixon was slapped with three articles of impeachment in connection to his involvement in the Watergate scandal. But he ended up resigning before the House could proceed to impeach him.