President Donald Trump has called on Republicans to impeach House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, but will that be possible?
“Hakeem Jeffries, an individual with a low IQ, said our Supreme Court is ‘illegitimate’. Doesn’t saying that make you impeachable? I was impeached on a perfect phone call. Where are the Republicans? Let’s get started! They’ll do this to me!” President Trump said in a Truth social post on May 3. Jeffries’ comments about the Supreme Court were made at a press conference for the April 29 ruling that limited the Voting Rights Act.
Jeffries responded to the post by writing “Jeffries Derangement Syndrome” on the X, an apparent nod to “Trump Derangement Syndrome,” a term often used by Trump allies to describe Trump’s critics.
A lawmaker can be removed from office by his or her colleagues, but not by impeachment. Here’s what you need to know:
What is impeachment?
Impeachment is similar to indictment. Authorizes formal charges against federal employees accused of committing crimes. The articles of impeachment name the president, vice president, and “all civil servants of the United States” as targets of impeachment.
Articles of impeachment must be adopted by a simple majority vote in the House of Representatives before the Senate can hold an impeachment trial. When the president is put on trial, the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court presides over the case. A defendant can only be removed from office if the Senate convicts the defendant by a two-thirds majority vote. In some cases, it may mean they can never hold public office again.
Will Hakeem Jeffries be impeached?
According to the Annotated Constitution, a government-approved analysis and interpretation of the U.S. Constitution, the articles of impeachment probably do not apply to members of Congress.
The constitution grants Congress the power to remove elected officials and “punish members who have committed disorderly conduct, and expel members with the consent of two-thirds of the members.”
Trump has been impeached twice, but the Senate acquitted him both times.
In December 2019, the House of Representatives voted to impeach Trump on two articles accusing him of abuse of power. bone called on Ukrainian authorities to investigate his political opponents, and another claimed he obstructed a parliamentary inquiry into the matter. In February 2020, the Senate voted to acquit the president, with Sen. Mitt Romney (R-Utah) the only Republican to vote to convict on a bipartisan basis.
In January 2021, the House of Representatives voted to impeach Trump a second time, charging the president with “incitement of insurrection” in connection with the events at the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021. The Senate trial took place after Trump left office, but some Republicans deemed it unnecessary because Trump was no longer in power. A bipartisan majority of seven Republicans voted to convict, but the 57-43 vote fell short of the two-thirds majority needed for conviction. Because he was acquitted, there was no vote to bar him from ever serving as president again.
Contributor: Maureen Grope, Janine Santucci, Sudiksha Kochi, Michael Collins, George Petras, John Fritze, USA TODAY
Kinsey Crowley is a Trump Connect reporter for the USA TODAY Network. Please contact KCrowley@usatodayco.com. follow her X (Twitter), thread, blue sky and TikTok.
