Trump's Impeachment Warning: What He Said and Why It Matters
In the run-up to the midterms, Trump has leaned on a familiar message to rally his base: if Democrats win control of Congress, he says, they will come after him with another impeachment. The claim has become a regular part of his pitch to voters.
A Reporter's Pointed Question
The issue came up last week when Trump spoke to reporters outside the White House. Fox News correspondent Peter Doocy put it to him directly. Trump had already been impeached twice, Doocy noted, so how much would a third attempt really matter?
Trump's answer surprised many who heard it. He said he wasn't sure, but admitted he had become rather practiced at being impeached. He went on to describe the process as a sham and argued that Republicans could have taken the same route against Joe Biden and Hillary Clinton but chose not to, because it would have been inappropriate. "With me they like to do it," he said.
What he did not explain is what grounds Democrats might use for a third impeachment. That remains unclear.
The Two Impeachments So Far
Trump's first impeachment came in 2019. It followed an inquiry that concluded he had sought foreign interference in the 2020 election and had told officials to ignore subpoenas for documents and testimony. In 2021, the House impeached him a second time, accusing him of inciting the January 6 attack on the US Capitol. Both times, the Senate voted to acquit.
That makes Trump the third president in US history to be impeached, and the only one to face a Senate trial twice.
How Other Presidents Fared
Andrew Johnson was the first, impeached in 1868 after he removed War Secretary Edwin Stanton without Congress's approval. The Senate acquitted him, and the law that had protected Senate-confirmed officials from being fired without Congressional consent was repealed in 1887.
More than a century later, Bill Clinton went on trial in 1998 on charges of perjury and obstruction of justice, stemming from false statements under oath about his affair with Monica Lewinsky. He too was acquitted.
Richard Nixon is a different case. Impeachment proceedings were underway over the Watergate scandal, but he resigned in 1974 before the House could vote. It's also worth remembering that impeachment isn't limited to presidents. Governors, judges, mayors and even tribal leaders can face it too.
Why the Midterms Look Tough for Trump
Trump may not appear on any ballot this November, but critics see the election as a chance to hand the 80-year-old president a stinging rebuke. Recent polling suggests that is a real possibility.
A CNN poll from last month found that 50 per cent of Americans "strongly disapprove" of his performance. That is the highest figure recorded for any president heading into a midterm. CNN's chief data analyst, Harry Enten, described it as record hatred toward a sitting president going into a midterm.
Enten added that Trump has always polarized voters, and his strong supporters have traditionally been a sizeable group. That is changing. Only 18 per cent now say they strongly approve of him, compared with a typical 27 per cent at this stage of a presidency.
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