Trump under pressure: Whether US president faces impeachment for third time
Donald Trump (photo: Getty Images)
In the US, representatives of the Democratic Party have begun preparations for the impeachment of Donald Trump.
RBC-Ukraine explains what the impeachment process looks like and under what conditions it is possible.
Takeaways
- How did discussions about a third impeachment for Trump arise in the US?
- When and under what conditions could it happen?
- What does the prospect of impeachment mean for Trump and his team?
Although US President Donald Trump has been in office for just over 100 days, some politicians from the Democratic Party have begun discussing the possibility of impeachment.
On April 28, Representative Shri Thanedar introduced seven charges that could serve as grounds for impeachment of the president. The congressman stated that Trump is unfit to carry out the duties of the president and poses an obvious and real danger to the constitution of our country and our democracy.
Thanedar accuses the US president of obstruction of justice, abuse of power, usurpation of power, bribery, and corruption.
New impeachment initiatives are expected soon. Specifically, Democratic congresswomen Ilhan Omar and Al Green have made such statements.
What is the impeachment procedure
Impeachment begins in the House of Representatives, where any member can propose a corresponding resolution. After the case is considered, the House must vote for impeachment by a simple majority. The case is then transferred to the Senate, which acts as the court, with senators serving as jurors.
In practice, this means that impeachment can only begin if the Democratic Party wins the elections for the House of Representatives in November 2026.
Democrats would realistically be able to initiate the procedure in 2027, after new congress members take office. An impeachment vote can be initiated based on any charges against Trump. However, this does not guarantee the removal of the US president from office, as a two-thirds majority in the Senate is required for that.
The likelihood that the Democrats will have such a majority in the Senate in 2027 is currently low. Therefore, it is most likely that the Senate will acquit Trump, and the impeachment will not be completed. Ultimately, a similar scenario occurred during Trump's first term. He was impeached in 2019 and 2021 on different charges, but the Senate acquitted the US president both times.
Prospect of impeachment as a motivator
At the same time, according to Axios, Trump’s advisors take the threat of impeachment seriously. Even if the procedure ultimately fails, it could cause unnecessary troubles for the US president’s team and distract from other matters.
One of the side effects of this is Trump’s push to implement as many planned changes in the country as possible during 2025-2026, ahead of the midterm elections, where Republicans may lose their majority.
The article draws on statements from American politicians, the US Constitution, and articles from Axios and CNN.
