How Is Impeachment Supposed to Work?

            The topic of discussion for this Constitution Monday concerns the process of impeachment. Impeachment is supposed to be rare. It is so rare that impeachment has been considered for only four Presidents of the United States in more than 230 years. Two of the four – Bill Clinton and Andrew Johnson – were impeached by the U.S. House of Representatives, one – Richard Nixon – resigned from the office of President before he could be impeached, and the fourth – Donald Trump – is enduring the Democrat impeachment circus at the present time. 

I read somewhere that Democrats have tried to impeach every Republican president since Dwight D. Eisenhower. I do not know if that statement is true or not, but we all know that the Democrats began their attempt to impeach Trump just a few minutes after he was inaugurated. It was ridiculous, but there were Democrats who were yelling for impeachment before Trump had taken any action as President. How could he have performed any impeachable offense within twenty minutes of inauguration?

It is obvious to anyone who is not blind that Democrats have been looking for something to impeach Trump on since the beginning of his term of office. The first attempt was Russian collusion in the 2016 presidential election. The special counsel spent two years and $30 million investigating Trump and did not find anything. As soon as the Mueller report dropped without any impeachable offense, the Democrats were searching for something else.

They latched onto a telephone call between Trump and the president of Ukraine and built a case for impeachment. Trump spoiled their plan when he released the transcript of the call that showed there was nothing wrong with the call. However, the Democrats had jumped on the impeachment train and could not get off. The longer they ride this train, the more foolish they look, but they do not seem to care. 

Democrats do not seem to care who they destroy – even their own political success – in their attempt to destroy Trump and all his supporters. The strange thing is that they appear to be blind to the fact that support for Trump is growing while more people are questioning the sanity of the Democrat Party. So, let’s discuss how impeachment is supposed to work.

The United States Constitution, Article II, Section 4 states: “The President, Vice President, Vice President and all civil Officers of the United States, shall be removed from Office on Impeachment for, and Conviction of, Treason, Bribery, or other high Crimes and Misdemeanors.”

This section gives the reasons why any of the named officers can be impeached: treason, bribery, high crimes, or misdemeanors. Trump has done none of the four offenses, but Democrats do not let facts affect get in the way. Even though the facts are not in their favor, they continue their efforts to destroy Trump.

Article I, Section 2 of the U.S. Constitution states: “The House of Representatives … shall have the sole Power of Impeachment.” Other than the reasons for which an officer can be impeached, the Constitution gives no other rules. The Speaker of the House, apparently, can run an impeachment any way they choose. There have been precedents that other impeachments have followed, but no cut-and-dried rules.

Article I, Section 3 of the Constitution gives a bit more information to the Senate about its responsibility in the case of impeachment.

The Senate shall have the sole Power to try all Impeachments. When sitting for that Purpose, they shall be on Oath or Affirmation. When the President of the United States is tried, the Chief Justice shall preside. And no Person shall be convicted without the Concurrence of two thirds of the Members present.

Judgment in Cases of Impeachment shall not extend further than to removal from Office, and disqualification to hold and enjoy any Office of honor, Trust or Profit under the United States: but the Party convicted shall nevertheless be liable and subject to Indictment, Trial, Judgment and Punishment, according to Law. 

            This statement says that the Senate has the power to remove a President or other officer from office, but that is the extent of its power. Any legal indictment, trial, judgment, and penalty must come from the law enforcement arm of the government.


            The Democrats surely know that two-thirds of the Senators will not vote to remove a popular President from office. Therefore, they must have another reason for continuing the sham impeachment inquiry. The only possible answer is that they are trying to damage Trump politically. They know that they have no chance of winning an election against Trump, so they are attempting to take him out of office by destroying him, his family, and his supporters.