In the news: Removing the president from office (Part I)?
The US Constitution contains two provisions for removing a president from office, although technically, only one of these was intended for permanent removal.
Presidents can be impeached, or formally accused, for ‘high crimes and misdemeanors’ by a simply majority (greater than 50%) the House of Representatives. Three presidents throughout history have been impeached: Andrew Jackson, Bill Clinton, and Donald Trump.
When this occurs, a ‘trial’ is conducted in the US Senate, where the Senate votes whether to remove the president from office. A two-thirds majority vote is required for this.
Removing a president from office by way of the 25th Amendment is different, and will be the subject of Wednesday’s post.
