Today in history: On Jan. 13, 2021, President Donald John Trump was impeached by the U.S. House over the violent Jan. 6 siege of the Capitol, becoming the only president to be twice impeached; ten Republicans joined Democrats in voting to impeach Trump on a charge of “incitement of insurrection.
Donald Trump, the 45th President of the United States, was impeached not once, but twice. Here’s a brief rundown of both impeachments:
First Impeachment (December 2019)
Trump was impeached by the House of Representatives on charges of abuse of power and obstruction of Congress. This was related to allegations that he pressured Ukraine’s president to investigate Joe Biden and his son Hunter.
Second Impeachment (January 2021)
Trump was impeached again by the House of Representatives, this time on a single charge of “incitement of insurrection” related to the January 6 United States Capitol attack. He was accused of encouraging his supporters to march on the Capitol building, leading to violence and destruction.
In both cases, Trump was acquitted by the Senate, falling short of the two-thirds majority needed for conviction. The second impeachment trial was notable as it was the first time a U.S. president had been impeached twice, and the first time a former president had been tried by the Senate.
