Has a President Ever Been Removed from Office?

April 23, 2026

The Constitution provides a mechanism for removing a president from office—but it sets a deliberately high bar.

Under Article II, a president may be removed for “treason, bribery, or other high crimes and misdemeanors.” The process begins in the House of Representatives, which has the power to impeach. Removal, however, requires a trial in the Senate and a two-thirds vote to convict.

In American history, three presidents have been impeached by the House.

Andrew Johnson, in 1868, was accused of violating a law that limited his authority to remove officials during Reconstruction. He was acquitted in the Senate by a single vote.

Bill Clinton, in 1998, was charged with perjury and obstruction of justice related to testimony under oath. He, too, was acquitted.

Donald Trump was impeached twice—first in 2019 on charges of abuse of power and obstruction of Congress, and again in 2021 for incitement related to the events of January 6. He was acquitted both times.

No president has ever been removed from office through impeachment.

That outcome reflects the structure the Framers put in place. They did not intend impeachment to be used lightly or as a tool for resolving ordinary political disagreements. At the same time, they recognized the need for a mechanism to address serious abuses of power.

The result is a system that is both available and constrained—capable of acting in extraordinary circumstances, but resistant to frequent use.

By design, removal of a president isn’t meant to be easy. The bar is high, because the stakes for the presidency—and the Constitution—are so high.