PresidentDonald Trumphas become the third president in United States history to face removal from office.
On Wednesday night, the House of Representatives officiallyvoted in favor to impeachon charges ofabuse of powerandobstruction of Congressin connection withhis Ukraine scandal.
While the history-making vote does mean that Trump will stand trial, there is still a long way to go for the actual removal of the president from office via impeachment. So far, no president in the history of the U.S. has been removed from office through this process.
President Donald Trump.JIM WATSON/AFP via Getty
Trial Preparation
Senators will sit as jurors, while Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. is expected to preside Trump’s trial.
During this time, the Senate will alsohave to reach an agreement on the trial procedures.
Donald Trump.Noam Galai/WireImage
Senate Trial
A Senate trial is similar to a courtroom procedure.
Like how jurors take an oath, each senator must be sworn in a Senate trial per the Constitution.
At this time, House managers and the president’s counsel may issue subpoenas, request evidence, or examine witnesses.
The Senate will begin deliberations in a closed session after both sides make their closing arguments. The Senate then votes separately on each article of impeachment in an open session.
Per the Constitution, a two-thirds vote is required to convict on any article of impeachment, which has never happened in U.S. history. At Clinton’s trial in the ’90s, senators voted mostly along party lines to acquit, 55-45.
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After Trial
Should Trump be acquitted, he will be able to continue to serve out the rest of his presidential term.
However, should Trump be convicted of any one of his charges, he will be automatically removed from office. This process will trigger the 25th Amendment, making Vice PresidentMike Pencethe next president of the United States.
Should Pence succeed Trump, he will, in turn, need to nominate someone to act as his vice president.
Though Johnson and Clinton served out their terms following their acquittals, the 25th Amendment was enacted when Nixon resigned from the office. Gerald Ford, the then-vice president, became president and nominated former New York Governor Nelson Rockefeller as his vice president.
source: people.com
