Honestly, the term "impeachment" gets tossed around so much in political arguments that it’s easy to lose track of what actually went down. If you’ve ever felt like you need a spreadsheet just to keep up with the dates and the charges, you’re not alone. Donald Trump didn't just break a record by becoming the first president to be impeached twice; he fundamentally changed how we look at the power of the Oval Office.
But why did Trump get impeached in the first place? It wasn't just a single event or a bad day at the office. It was two distinct, high-stakes dramas—one involving a secret phone call to Ukraine and the other involving a chaotic afternoon at the U.S. Capitol.
The First One: A "Perfect" Call Gone Wrong
Back in late 2019, the world was introduced to a whistleblower complaint that changed everything. It focused on a July 25 phone call between Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Basically, the House of Representatives argued that Trump was using his office for a "shakedown."
The core of the issue was simple: Trump allegedly withheld nearly $400 million in military aid that Congress had already approved for Ukraine. Why? Because he wanted Zelenskyy to do him a "favor." That favor was a public announcement that Ukraine was investigating Joe Biden—his main political rival at the time—and his son, Hunter Biden.
The Two Charges That Stuck
In December 2019, the House passed two articles of impeachment:
- Abuse of Power: This was the heavy hitter. It claimed Trump used the weight of the U.S. government to solicit foreign interference in the 2020 election for his own personal gain.
- Obstruction of Congress: This happened because, during the investigation, the White House basically told everyone to ignore subpoenas. They didn't want documents handed over, and they didn't want officials testifying.
Think about the witnesses for a second. We had Fiona Hill, a top Russia expert, and Alexander Vindman, a national security official, sitting in front of cameras telling the world that this wasn't how foreign policy was supposed to work. It was high drama. But when it hit the Senate in February 2020, the result was almost a foregone conclusion. Aside from Mitt Romney—the first senator in history to vote to convict a president from his own party—Republicans stayed united. Trump was acquitted.
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The Second One: 187 Minutes of Chaos
If the first impeachment was about behind-the-scenes diplomacy, the second one was about as public as it gets. It all centered on January 6, 2021. You remember the images: the crowds, the broken windows, the disruption of the electoral vote count.
One week later, the House moved faster than it ever had before. They didn't hold weeks of hearings this time. They didn't need to. Most of the evidence was on Twitter (now X) or broadcast live on national television.
Why Did Trump Get Impeached Again?
The charge this time was a single, powerful article: Incitement of Insurrection. The argument was that Trump spent months spreading false claims about a "stolen" election and then, on that January morning, told a crowd to "fight like hell." The House argued this wasn't just tough talk; it was a direct spark that led to the violence at the Capitol.
What made this one different was the bipartisan support. Ten Republicans joined the Democrats in the House to impeach him. Even in the Senate trial, which happened after Trump had already left office, seven Republicans voted to convict. It wasn't enough to reach the two-thirds majority required by the Constitution, but it was the most bipartisan vote for conviction in any presidential impeachment trial ever.
What People Get Wrong About the Process
A lot of people think that "impeached" means "removed from office." It doesn't. Think of impeachment like an indictment in a criminal case. The House acts as the grand jury that brings the charges, and the Senate acts as the jury that decides if the person is guilty.
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In both cases, Trump was impeached (charged), but he was never convicted (removed).
There’s also this idea that you have to break a specific, written law to be impeached. Not true. The Constitution talks about "High Crimes and Misdemeanors." That's a fancy, old-timey way of saying "abuse of the public trust." An official can be impeached for doing something that isn't technically illegal but is considered a massive violation of their duty to the country.
Why Does This Still Matter in 2026?
You might wonder why we're still talking about this. Well, the precedents set during these trials are basically the rulebook for the future.
- Executive Privilege: The first impeachment tested how much a president can hide from Congress.
- Post-Presidency Trials: The second trial confirmed that Congress can try a president even after they've left the building.
- Political Polarization: Both trials showed that, in the modern era, removing a president is nearly impossible unless the country is unified in a way we haven't seen in decades.
If you're trying to keep the facts straight, here is the breakdown of the outcomes:
First Impeachment (2019-2020)
The House voted for Abuse of Power (230-197) and Obstruction of Congress (229-198). The Senate acquitted him on both.
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Second Impeachment (2021)
The House voted for Incitement of Insurrection (232-197). The Senate vote was 57 guilty to 43 not guilty—meaning he was acquitted because they needed 67 votes to convict.
Actionable Steps to Stay Informed
If you want to dive deeper into the actual evidence rather than the talking points, here’s how to do it:
Read the primary sources. Don't just take a news anchor's word for it. The "Memorandum of Telephone Conversation" from the July 25 call is public. So is the final report from the January 6th Committee.
Understand the "High Crimes" standard. Look up Federalist No. 65 by Alexander Hamilton. He explains exactly what the Founding Fathers were thinking when they created the impeachment power. It was always meant to be "political" in the sense that it deals with injuries done to society itself.
Follow the legal ripple effects. While the impeachments were political trials, they sparked real-world legal cases that are still moving through the courts today. Understanding the difference between the political process (impeachment) and the judicial process (criminal trials) is key to making sense of the news.
Stay skeptical of 30-second clips. The history of why did Trump get impeached is written in thousands of pages of testimony and constitutional law, and it’s a story that’s still being told.