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-Editorial
Since President Donald Trump returned to office following his re-election in 2024, a growing number of elected officials and grassroots activists have accused him of engaging in conduct they believe undermines the U.S. Constitution, prompting renewed calls for impeachment.
Although discussions of a “constitutional crisis” have been circulating among political commentators and legal experts since January 20, congressional Democrats have largely refrained from publicly advocating for Trump’s removal. However, a small but increasing number of representatives are now openly endorsing impeachment, citing what they describe as unlawful actions by the president and threats to democratic institutions.
A group of volunteers under the banner “Operation Anti-King” has organized a nationwide effort to pressure congressional offices to support impeachment. Their campaign has so far identified eight members of Congress willing to go on record with their support, including Reps. Al Green (D-TX), Suzanne Bonamici (D-OR), Maxine Dexter (D-OR), Sam Liccardo (D-CA), Maxine Waters (D-CA), Ilhan Omar (D-MN), Shri Thanedar (D-MI), and Hank Johnson (D-GA).
In a statement to the group, Rep. Dexter said, “Donald Trump’s cruel, chaotic, and unlawful actions have put our democracy at risk. I will not stand by while our democracy is eroded. I support impeachment because no one is above the law.” Rep. Bonamici similarly stated her support, asserting that Trump is “violating the Constitutional rights of people in this country and ignoring the rule of law.”
A group of lawmakers wrote a letter to President Trump expressing concern about his immigration policies to deport people.
“We write regarding your unlawful invocation of the Alien Enemies Act of 1798, resulting in noncitizens being deported without any due process, not to mention violating the requirement that the statute be invoked only in response to an act of war, predatory incursion, or invasion by a foreign government,” the letter read. “Our immigration laws can already hold gang members accountable and provide for their deportation. The government should not be able to falsely accuse individuals in the United States, including U.S. citizens, of gang membership and send them to foreign prisons without any judicial review or remedy.”
Despite these calls, opposition to impeachment persists within political circles. Some strategists argue that removing Trump would trigger a political backlash or further divide the electorate. However, impeachment proponents argue that past attempts to hold the former president accountable, including his two previous impeachments, did not result in significant public backlash. That inaction now could embolden further disregard for legal norms.
Trump was previously impeached twice by the House of Representatives. The first impeachment, in December 2019, accused him of abuse of power and obstruction of Congress. The second occurred on January 13, 2021, a week before he left office when the House charged him with “incitement of insurrection” following the January 6 Capitol attack. Although the Senate acquitted Trump both times, the second impeachment saw a bipartisan group of 57 senators vote to convict—10 short of the two-thirds majority required.
Following his re-election in November 2024, Trump faced two additional indictments related to his role in efforts to overturn the 2020 election. One was brought by the state of Georgia and another federally. The federal charges were dismissed without prejudice due to Department of Justice policy barring the prosecution of a sitting president.
President Bill Clinton was impeached by the House of Representatives on December 19, 1998, following a formal inquiry launched in October of that year. The charges stemmed from Clinton’s testimony during a sexual harassment lawsuit filed by Paula Jones, in which he denied a relationship with White House intern Monica Lewinsky.
The impeachment was triggered by the Starr Report, submitted in September 1998, which detailed Clinton’s involvement with Lewinsky. Clinton became the second U.S. president to be impeached, after Andrew Johnson in 1868.
The Senate trial began on January 7, 1999, with Chief Justice William Rehnquist presiding. On February 12, Clinton was acquitted on both articles of impeachment—perjury and obstruction of justice—as neither received the two-thirds vote required for conviction. Clinton completed his second term in office.
The impeachment of President Andrew Johnson began on February 24, 1868, when the U.S. House of Representatives charged him with “high crimes and misdemeanors.” The House adopted eleven articles of impeachment on March 2 and 3, primarily focused on Johnson’s violation of the Tenure of Office Act. Johnson had attempted to remove Secretary of War Edwin Stanton—who was aligned with the Radical Republicans—and replace him with General Lorenzo Thomas without Senate approval. The Tenure of Office Act passed over Johnson’s veto in 1867, was designed to prevent such actions and protect Stanton’s position.
The Constitution requires a two-thirds vote of the Senate to convict, and the penalty for an impeached official upon conviction is removal from office. In some cases, the Senate has also disqualified such officials from holding public offices in the future. There is no appeal.