How Does Impeachment Work?

Impeachment is the constitutional process by which Congress can remove the President, Vice President, federal judges, and other civil officers of the United States from office for “high crimes and misdemeanors.” It is a two-step process that involves both the House of Representatives and the Senate.

Step 1: The House impeaches

The House of Representatives has the sole power of impeachment (Article I, Section 2 of the Constitution). An impeachment inquiry typically begins in the House Judiciary Committee, which investigates the allegations and drafts articles of impeachment — formal charges specifying the conduct that warrants removal. The full House then votes on each article. A simple majority (218 votes in a full House) is required to impeach. Impeachment by the House is analogous to an indictment in criminal law: it is a formal accusation, not a conviction.

Step 2: The Senate tries

Once the House impeaches, the Senate conducts a trial (Article I, Section 3). The Chief Justice of the United States presides when the President is on trial. House members serve as “managers” (prosecutors), and the impeached official may mount a defense. After hearing evidence and arguments, the Senate votes on each article. A two-thirds supermajority (67 of 100 senators) is required to convict and remove. If convicted, the official is immediately removed from office. The Senate may also vote to disqualify the individual from holding future federal office.

Historical precedent

Only three presidents have been impeached by the House: Andrew Johnson (1868), Bill Clinton (1998), and Donald Trump (twice — in 2019 and 2021). None were convicted by the Senate. Richard Nixon resigned in 1974 before the House voted on articles of impeachment. The most recent presidential impeachment trial was in February 2021, when the Senate acquitted Trump on charges related to the January 6 Capitol breach, with 57 senators voting to convict — short of the 67 required.

Federal judges have been impeached and removed more frequently than presidents. Since 1789, the House has impeached 21 federal officials, and the Senate has convicted and removed 8, all of whom were judges.

Last updated: April 2, 2026.