Second impeachment of Donald Trump

Second impeachment of Donald Trump
United States House of Representatives · Public domain · source
Title	Second impeachment of Donald Trump
Caption	Official portrait of Donald Trump
Date	January 13–February 13, 2021
Venue	United States Congress
Outcome	Acquittal by United States Senate
Accused	Donald Trump
Charge	Incitement of insurrection

Second impeachment of Donald Trump

The second impeachment of Donald Trump was a historic impeachment proceeding in the United States House of Representatives against Donald Trump following the 2021 United States Capitol attack, charging him with incitement of insurrection; the House approved a single article on January 13, 2021, and the United States Senate held a trial that concluded with acquittal on February 13, 2021. The process involved prominent figures and institutions including Nancy Pelosi, Mitch McConnell, Mike Johnson, Ted Lieu, Jamie Raskin, Lindsey Graham, Chuck Schumer, and former members of the Trump administration such as Mark Meadows and Rudy Giuliani. The proceedings followed contested events tied to the 2020 presidential election, including the 2020 United States presidential election, the Electoral College certification, and public statements at the Save America Rally.

Background

In the aftermath of the 2020 United States presidential election and the certification on January 6, 2021, a mob breached the United States Capitol during the joint session of the United States Congress that was presided over by Mike Pence and overseen by congressional leaders including Nancy Pelosi and Chuck Schumer. The breach followed months of legal challenges by the Trump campaign, litigation involving attorneys such as Sidney Powell and Rudy Giuliani, and public claims made by Donald Trump at events including the Save America Rally and on platforms such as Twitter and Fox News. Security failures involved agencies and offices including the United States Capitol Police, the Metropolitan Police Department of the District of Columbia, the United States Secret Service, and the Department of Defense, prompting investigations by committees and offices including the House Select Committee on the January 6 Attack and the Department of Justice. Calls for accountability came from members across parties including Adam Schiff, Jim Jordan, Ilhan Omar, and Kevin McCarthy.

Article of Impeachment

The House drafted a single article of impeachment charging Donald Trump with "incitement of insurrection" for alleged actions and statements preceding and on January 6, 2021, citing speeches, social media posts, and communications with associates such as Rudy Giuliani, Roger Stone, and Mark Meadows. Sponsors and managers of the article included Jamie Raskin, Ted Lieu, David Cicilline, Dan Kildee, and Jerrold Nadler, while the text referenced constitutional provisions including Article II and the United States Constitution's impeachment clauses. The article alleged that Donald Trump's conduct endangered the security of the United States Capitol and interfered with the peaceful transfer of power from the Trump administration to the Biden administration, and sought the constitutional remedy of conviction and disqualification from holding future federal office.

House proceedings and vote

The House acted swiftly, with managers introducing and debating the article in a session that featured speeches by leaders including Nancy Pelosi, Steny Hoyer, Kevin McCarthy, and Steve Scalise, and legal arguments referencing precedents such as the impeachments of Andrew Johnson, Bill Clinton, and Donald Trump (first impeachment). Floor debate included statements by Democrats like Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Hakeem Jeffries, and Republicans like Liz Cheney and Adam Kinzinger who spoke about the attack and accountability. The House voted 232–197 to impeach, with ten Republicans including Liz Cheney, Adam Kinzinger, Fred Upton, John Katko, and Peter Meijer joining Democrats to support the article; the vote sent impeachment managers to the United States Senate to prosecute the case.

Senate trial and acquittal

The United States Senate convened for a trial presided over in part by Patrick Leahy and involving arguments by House managers—Jamie Raskin, David Cicilline, Ted Lieu—and defense counsel for Donald Trump including Bruce Castor and David Schoen. The trial included motions on constitutional questions raised by senators including Mitch McConnell, Lindsey Graham, Richard Burr, and Mitt Romney about whether a former president is subject to impeachment, referencing historical debates from the impeachments of Andrew Johnson and Richard Nixon and legal opinions from scholars such as John Yoo and Alan Dershowitz. After two days of presentations and brief deliberations, the Senate voted 57 guilty to 43 not guilty, with seven Republicans including Mitt Romney, Susan Collins, Ben Sasse, Lisa Murkowski, Pat Toomey, Bill Cassidy, and Richard Burr voting to convict; the conviction threshold of two-thirds (67 votes) was not met, resulting in acquittal.

Political and legal aftermath

The acquittal did not end related inquiries and consequences: separate criminal investigations by the Department of Justice and inquiries by the House Select Committee on the January 6 Attack continued, implicating figures such as Stephen Bannon, Jacob Chansley, Christopher Wray, and officials in the Trump administration including Mark Meadows and Kayleigh McEnany. Political ramifications affected 2022 and 2024 electoral dynamics involving actors such as Ron DeSantis, Nikki Haley, Mike Pence, and ongoing debates within the Republican Party and Democratic Party. Legal scholars and institutions including the American Bar Association and universities such as Harvard University and Yale University debated precedent, remedies, and the scope of the impeachment power under the United States Constitution.

Reactions and public response

Reactions spanned elected officials, media outlets, advocacy groups, and international leaders: statements came from Joe Biden, Kamala Harris, Donald Trump Jr., Tucker Carlson, Rachel Maddow, and outlets such as The New York Times, The Washington Post, Fox News, CNN, and BBC News. Polling by organizations like Pew Research Center and Gallup measured public opinion on impeachment and the Capitol attack, with responses from civil rights groups including the American Civil Liberties Union and law enforcement organizations such as the Fraternal Order of Police. International responses included commentary by leaders such as Boris Johnson, Angela Merkel, Emmanuel Macron, and institutions like the European Union and NATO expressing concern about the attack and emphasizing principles of constitutional order.

Category:Impeachments of presidents of the United States Category:Presidency of Donald Trump