Not technically. Donald Trump was already impeached for an unprecedented second time by a vote in the House of Representatives in the final days of his term as president, but there is still the chance for him to be convicted by a trial in the Senate.
Last week, Donald Trump left his seat at the White House as Joe Biden was officially inaugurated as the 46th President of the United States, leaving many to question why an impeachment trial would be necessary, now that he is no longer in office and more importantly whether or not a trial could even take place at all. Continue reading to learn more about the impeachment process and what it could mean for the first few weeks of the new administration.
Impeaching a president after he leaves office? Can we do that? The answer is unclear. Although there is no doubt that a sitting president can be impeached by the House of Representatives and convicted by a trial in the Senate during his tenure as the president of the United States, there is debate over whether the process can continue after he or she leaves office. While the lack of consensus will inevitably be the center of disputes in the near future, Charles Zelden, a professor of history and political science in the department of humanities and politics, explained that there is some precedent that suggests a trial is possible, even after the individual leaves office.
“There is an open debate whether you can impeach someone who can’t be removed because they’re no longer in office. The wording says ‘removed,’ but there have been cases where people have resigned and yet the impeachment process continued. So, we’ll see, but likely, we will have a trial,” said Zelden.
Even if the Senate decides to go through with an impeachment trial, the question remains: why bother? Well, according to Zelden, an impeachment conviction has many consequences beyond being removed from office. Trump may have already left office, but there’s much more at stake if he’s convicted.
“Donald Trump could never run for office again, and it would probably result in him being stripped of his pension, his security detail and the million-dollar-a-year travel allowance that ex-presidents have, among a few other matters,” said Zelden.
Barring Donald Trump for running for reelection in 2024 would invariably result in significant ramifications for the 2024 election cycle.
As Zelden explained, “Many Republican Senators who want to run for president in 2024 would benefit if Donald Trump is barred from running. That opens up the field.”
However, on the flip side, many Republican Senators may risk losing support if they vote in favor of impeaching Trump who still has a significant following among Republican voters.
Whatever happens in the next few weeks, it is clear that another chapter will likely be added to the historical and unprecedented presidential term of Donald Trump.
