What Happened to Impeachments of Donald Trump?

Donald Trump's presidency was marked by two historic impeachments, making him the only U.S. President to face such proceedings twice. The first impeachment originated in late 2019, following a whistleblower complaint regarding a July 2019 phone call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. It was alleged that Trump sought to leverage military aid in exchange for investigations into his political rival, Joe Biden, and unsubstantiated claims about the 2016 election. The House of Representatives, led by Democrats, approved two articles of impeachment on December 18, 2019: abuse of power and obstruction of Congress.

The subsequent Senate trial, which began in January 2020, saw a largely party-line vote, with Republicans rejecting attempts to subpoena witnesses or documents. On February 5, 2020, the Senate acquitted Trump on both charges, with only Senator Mitt Romney, a Republican, voting to convict on the abuse of power charge. This outcome solidified deep partisan divisions and allowed Trump to claim exoneration, continuing his first term in office.

The second impeachment occurred swiftly in January 2021, in the wake of the January 6th attack on the U.S. Capitol. The House of Representatives impeached Trump on January 13, 2021, just one week before his term expired, on a single article: incitement of insurrection. This charge stemmed from his rhetoric and actions leading up to and during the Capitol riot, which aimed to disrupt the certification of the 2020 presidential election results.

Despite Trump having left office by the time the Senate trial began in February 2021, the proceedings moved forward. The Senate ultimately acquitted him on February 13, 2021, with a 57-43 vote to convict, falling short of the two-thirds majority required. Seven Republican senators joined all Democrats and independents in voting to convict, marking the most bipartisan vote for an impeachment conviction of a U.S. president. While he was acquitted, the impeachment underscored significant concerns about his conduct and its impact on democratic institutions.

Following his re-election in November 2024 and inauguration for a second term in January 2025, discussions around impeachment have continued. As of 2026, new articles of impeachment have been introduced. On April 28, 2025, Congressman Shri Thanedar introduced articles citing a range of constitutional violations, including obstruction of justice, abuse of executive power, and usurpation of appropriations power. More recently, on August 24, 2026, Representative Al Green filed new articles of impeachment, H.Res. 1486, charging President Trump with high crimes and misdemeanors, specifically alleging the weaponization of federal immigration agencies like ICE and CBP as unconstitutional paramilitary police forces. Public opinion polls in April and June 2026 indicated that a majority of Americans believe there are grounds to impeach President Trump, citing issues like corruption, abuse of power, and foreign policy decisions.

These ongoing efforts highlight that the impeachments, while not leading to removal, have set precedents and continue to shape the political landscape, influencing public discourse and congressional oversight during his second term. Trump himself has warned that a Democratic victory in the 2026 midterm elections could lead to a third impeachment. The impeachments have fundamentally altered the perception of presidential accountability and the use of impeachment as a political tool.