Impeached Presidents: How Many Presidents Have Been Impeached?

How Does Impeachment Work?

The Constitution of the United States gives Congress the authority to remove a sitting president from office in a two-step process defined by law. Round One takes place in the House of Representatives, which by a simple majority vote issues articles of impeachment. The articles are then delivered to the Senate, which requires a two-thirds majority vote to remove a president from office.

While 15 out of 45 presidents have come under scrutiny by Congress for possible impeachment, only four were formally charged.

1. Andrew Johnson

The first was Andrew Johnson, who received eleven articles of impeachment in February 1868 for violation of the Tenure of Office Act enacted in 1867, when he dismissed Secretary of War, Edwin Stanton, without the approval of the Senate. He was acquitted by the Senate in May of that same year.

2. Richard Nixon

Richard Nixon received three articles of impeachment in October of 1973, for his involvement and coverup of the Watergate break-in of the Democratic National Committee, but he resigned from office before his impeachment articles could be voted on by the Senate.

“You won’t have Richard Nixon to kick around anymore.”

Richard m. nixon

3. Bill Clinton

Bill Clinton received two articles of impeachment for perjury and obstruction of justice in December of 1998, when he lied to the American public about his extra-marital affair with White House intern, Monica Lewinsky. He was acquitted by the Senate in February of 1999.

“I did not have sexual relations with that woman, Miss Lewinsky.”

Bill Clinton

4. Donald Trump

Donald Trump holds the unprecedented distinction of receiving two House impeachment votes for misconduct in office. The first was in December 2019, when the House approved two articles of impeachment for abuse of power and obstruction of justice, after a whistleblower accused Trump of withholding financial aid unless Ukrainian officials provided political dirt against presidential candidate Joe Biden.

While he was acquitted in February 2020, a second impeachment landed in January of 2021, when he was formally sanctioned for inciting insurrection preceding a right-wing extremist attack on the U.S. Capitol. And there you have it, the impeached presidents club, today on The Daily Dose.