Can Trump Run for President Again After Two Impeachments?

Demystifying Impeachment and Its Impact on Running for Office

People often confuse the process of impeachment with the actual removal from office. Here, we break down what impeachment entails and its implications for a candidate's eligibility to run for president after facing multiple impeachment proceedings.

What is Impeachment?

Impeachment is a legal process where a president can be formally charged with 'high crimes and misdemeanors' against the state. This process is split between two parts: a House of Representatives (House) vote on articles of impeachment, and a Senate trial to determine whether the president should be removed from office.

Attaining a certain majority (typically two-thirds) in the Senate is required for conviction. If this majority is not reached, the president stays in office, similar to being acquitted in a civil lawsuit. Being impeached twice simply means that the charges were brought forward twice and the president was found not guilty both times.

Can Trump Run for Presidency After Being Impeached Twice?

Yes, if he has not served two terms.

Current Legal Context

According to the U.S. Constitution, some additional steps are required to prevent a president from running for office again. Specifically, a president must be convicted by the Senate to be permanently barred. However, as of now, no president has been impeached twice and convicted. The only case where impeachment was attempted but not completed was President Richard Nixon, who resigned before impeachment could occur.

Previous Impeachment Cases

Four and a half impeachment cases have occurred in U.S. history with only one (Richard Nixon) seeing the impeachment process initiated. In all cases where a president was acquitted, they were allowed to run again for office.

- Bill Clinton: Two impeachment articles were brought in 1999, but he was acquitted and re-elected in 2000.

- Nick ACA: During his tenure, no specific impeachment proceedings were initiated against him, and he ran for a third term but lost.

- Andrew Johnson: Impeached in 1868 but acquitted, he ran for and won a second term.

- Bill Clinton: Second impeachment in 1999, also acquitted, and he ran for a second term in 2000.

2024 Presidential Race

As of now, given that President Trump has been acquitted twice (in 2019 and 2021), he is indeed allowed to run for president in 2024 unless new laws or constitutional amendments prevent it.

Key Points to Remember

Impeachment is not equivalent to removal from office. It simply means the charges were brought and the president was found not guilty. For a presidential candidate to be barred from running again after impeachment, there must be a conviction by the Senate. Currently, Trump has not served two full terms and has not been convicted of any impeachment charges; therefore, he can run in 2024.

This article aims to clarify any confusion around impeachment and its relation to a candidate's right to run for the presidency, especially given the current political landscape.