Who was the first US President to be impeached?
Impeachment always means a process in which an official is charged with unlawful activity. In different countries this process may be followed by the removal of the official from office and by criminal or civil punishment. In the US the impeachment means being charged by the House of Representatives with the following trial in the Senate.
Until now, only 2 American presidents have been impeached. The first one to be impeached was Andrew Johnson, the 17th President of the USA. Bill Clinton was impeached 131 years later, but neither one of them was convicted by the US Senate.
Andrew Johnson was impeached on the 24th of February, 1868 for his "high crimes and misdemeanors" and unfair dismissal of Edwin Stanton, the US Secretary of War. The trial began on the 13th of March, but on the 26th of May the whole thing was ended with Johnson’s opponents' failure: they didn't achieve the two-thirds majority necessary to convict him.
More Info:
www.senate.gov
What are your thoughts on this subject?
58 Comments
Gary Johns
For the record, Nixon was never impeached. He resigned before impeachment proceedings would have begun.
Sarah Hearn-vonFoerster
To bad, we are unable to impeach the House of Representatives.
erik hughes
This answer needs to be updated (all the comments I see here are from 4 years ago), as Donald Trump was also impeached.
Ben Totuous
In the Andrew Johnson csse, he was indeed impeached. That is simply bringing formal charges. The trial is then conducted in the Senate on those charges. If convicted in the Senate, a Senate vote is then taken on whether to remove the official from office.
Larry Humphrey
That is a lot of BO-LOG-NA !!!. Obama has done so much more to qualify for impeachment, yet he runs the US like a dictator with a group of lackees for a senate and congress.
flanderschristy
erik hughes, TWICE!!!
Jennifer McDonald Steves
You right wingers just can't face reality when it comes to the real facts of the Reagan presidency. In addition to all his other atrocities, the man was senile for more than half his time in office. He did more to hurt the average Joe than any president in the last 50 years. And has been mentioned, he was far more moderate than today's GOP. Even the GOP is now running from their party's choice for president.
Bonnie Oliver Binford
Is this a bad joke or what? BO has done an al out assault on us and gets by with as much as Hilary does. Shame on you. I agree with the other poster except after bull I have another word!
Ben Totuous
Reagan should have been impeached for Iran Contra. If Obama did the same exact thing as Reagan did, we all know he would have been impeached within days.
Ben Totuous
Mark R. Kitchen .. Do you wake up every morning asking yourself how to make a fool of yourself online today? Your assertion that Ronnie Retardo was one of our greatest presidents was my biggest laugh of the week. He did nothing
The buffoon Reagan gave chemical weapons to Saddam Hussein. He armed Osama Bin Laden in Afghanistan with such weapons as Sidewinder missles, weapons that were later used against us there. He violated Congressional order in Iran Contra, then lied about it. The Republitardo answer to everything is more weapons. He also cut and run after the Beirut Marine barracks bombing killed over 250. And the terrorists have followed us ever since then.
Economically, his simpleton voodoo policies have led to 3 recessions. One of his great quotes is, "Deficits don't matter." By the way, Ronnietardo raised taxes 12 times. His ideas on immigration were virtually identically to Obama's today. The GOP (Goober On Parade) has gone far right since his days. Yet they continue to hail him as fitting their current agenda.
Helga U. Williams
I should have known better. I took impeached as found guilty. Mea culpa!
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Char
After all the not common knowledge questions I hit the wrong button here
Richard Adams
That would be 4 tries now.Mary Friedberg,
Lupe Hernandez
Bonnie Oliver Binford, Clinton was not the first.
Elsy O. Stromberg
Scott McAuley, He resigned before the trial that would have impeached him.
Marian Spitzig
Clinton was impeached, but not convicted. Nixon resigned before proceedings started.
Marian Spitzig
Marque Lampert Scherer, he was not impeached by the House. He resigned prior and the House decided they would not continue.
Marian Spitzig
Angela Womack Gonzalez, he resigned before impeachment happened. The House of Representatives decided not to proceed with the proceedings.
Marian Spitzig
Alan Dambroso, impeachment is bringing the charges (like an indictment in criminal court). The trial then takes place in the Senate. A 2/3 majority of the Senate must vote to convict. No President of the US has ever been convicted. Nixon probably would have been, but since he resigned, the impeachment hearings did not take place, so that no trial took place either.
flanderschristy
Jennifer McDonald Steves, I'm glad you brought up that he was senile for half of his term. I totally agree! I said at the time that Nancy was running the country not him. Let me add that Reagonomics destroyed our economy which took years to recover from & did only thanks to Obama.
John Maturo
Ben Totuous, So what you are saying is if "lying 26 times on TV" Barry O. had diverted funds to freedom fighters in central America he would would have been charged with high crimes and this would have happened because he is half negro? Reagan was not charged because he came out and admitted what had been done, I hope you remember the speech to the nation...PULL YOUR HEAD OUT OFF YOUR TOOKUS MR. TOTUOUS
Dave Rogers
Bonnie Oliver Binford , I indeed did know about Clinton's impeachment; and watched a large percentage of it. However, I figured I would give those who have a happy mouse finger a shot at answering it correctly. Those who knew Clinton got impeached would have to go through the options and reread the question instead of blindly clicking away...