Understanding Impeachment: A Guide | FOX 56 News

Impeachment has been a hot topic in recent U.S. politics, but what exactly is it and how does it work? Impeachment is a process established in the U.S. Constitution to charge, investigate, try, and potentially remove an official from office. The process is unique to the American system, with qualifications for impeachment being “Treason, Bribery, or other high Crimes and Misdemeanors.”

The power of impeachment is given to the House of Representatives, while the Senate has the power to try all impeachments. Impeachments can be brought against the President, Vice President, and all civil Officers of the United States. If convicted, the official is removed from office and disqualified from holding any office of honor, trust, or profit under the United States.

The process of impeachment involves various steps, including the initiation of impeachment through outside sources, committee investigations, or House resolutions. Once articles of impeachment are brought against an official and adopted by a simple majority vote in the House, the official is impeached. The Senate then holds an impeachment trial, with the Chief Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court presiding.

While twenty-one individuals have been officially impeached by the House, including three Presidents – Andrew Johnson, Bill Clinton, and Donald Trump (twice) – no president has ever been removed from office as a result. Richard Nixon faced three Articles of Impeachment during the Watergate scandal but resigned before a vote could be taken. Vice President Gerald Ford assumed office and later pardoned Nixon for any crimes committed during his presidency. Impeachment remains a powerful tool in American politics, shaping the course of history.