American Presidential Impeachments
Donald John Trump was impeached for the second time on January 13, 2021. Below is a summary of presidential impeachments in ascending order.
In 1868 Andrew Johnson became the first U.S. president to be charged for impeachable acts by the House of Representatives. The 11 articles of impeachment outlined these acts: 1) violation of the Tenure of Office act by attempting to fire Edwin M. Stanton, the secretary of war, 2) influencing a general of the army to violate an act of congress, 3) contempt of congress.
Though President Andrew Johnson was impeached, he escaped conviction and removal when the Senate acquitted him by only one vote.
Richard Nixon, came close to impeachment.
Richard Milhous Nixon, 37th president from 1969-1974, resigned from the office of the President on August 8, 1974. His decision to resign came after the House Judiciary Committee passed three articles of impeachment: 1. obstruction of justice 2. misuse of power 3. contempt of congress.
Before the vote to impeach came to the floor of the full house, Nixon decided to leave office. The reason he gave for resigning was that it was for the good of the country. Quote from his Resignation Speech “But as President, I must put the interest of America first.” That was the public reason Nixon gave, but with the ever intensifying pressure of the Watergate investigation, conducted by special prosecutor Archibald Cox, other factors most likely were the primary reason. These evidentiary and precipitating factors included the Supreme court’s ordering of the release of the Nixon tape recordings and what became known as the “Saturday Night Massacre”.
William Jefferson Clinton, 42nd President of the United States from 1993 – 2001, was the second president in history to be impeached. He was impeached on December 19, 1998. The Senate voted to acquit.
Kenneth Star was appointed as independent council. Star was initially assigned to investigate Clinton’s business dealings. Eventually, the investigation was expanded to include a sexual harassment case and an extramarital affair with a White House intern. This led to charges of obstructing justice and lying to a grand jury.
Donald J. Trump, the 45th President of the United States, became the third president to be impeached on December 18, 2019. There were two articles of impeachment; one for abuse of power and the second for the obstruction of Congress.
President Trump was acquitted by the Senate with a vote almost entirely down party lines with the two independent senators voting guilty on both articles along with the democrats.
The one surprise republican vote was that of Senator Mitt Romney who split from the rest of his party to vote guilty on the first article, abuse of power.
January 13, 2021 marks the day Donald John Trump is impeached for the second time. This is the first time a United States president has been impeached more than one time. The vote included 10 Republicans joining in the vote with the democrats to impeach Donald John Trump.
On Saturday, February 13, 2021, the Senate acquitted Donald J. Trump for the second time. The Impeachment Trial of Donald J. Trump – Research History
