This archive report was first published on 19 December 2019.
December 19, 2019, marked a historic day in U.S. politics as President Donald Trump became the third U.S. President to be impeached.
Trump joins the ranks of Bill Clinton and Andrew Johnson, who were previously impeached by the House of Representatives.
The impeachment process began with two articles of impeachment, as reported by the Washington Post: abuse of power by using federal government and taxpayer money for personal and political gain, and obstructing inquiry into his links with Ukraine.
While impeachment does not automatically mean removal from office, a Senate trial will now take place to determine the President's fate.
The Chief Justice of the United States will preside over the trial, with Senators acting as jurors. A two-thirds majority vote is required to convict the President and remove him from office.
According to the Washington Post, the Constitution does not provide specific guidelines for conducting the Senate trial, leaving it up to the Senators to decide the proceedings.
Previous Senate trials, such as the one for Bill Clinton, have set precedents for not allowing new evidence and only allowing statements from key witnesses.
As the trial approaches, there are indications that some Senators may be trying to influence the outcome before it begins.
The date for the trial will be determined once the Senate receives the two articles of impeachment, with a possible start date in January 2020.
