Trump impeachment: What happens next?

Donald Trump is the third US President to be impeached. But if his opponents are to actually get rid of him, they still face one huge obstacle.

So, it’s happened. Donald Trump has been impeached.

Democrats in the House of Representatives passed two articles of impeachment today – one accusing the President of abusing his power, the other of obstructing Congress.

Speaking at a political rally as the votes were counted, Mr Trump labelled the impeachment “an eternal mark of shame” for the Democrats and a “political suicide march”.

RELATED: How the impeachment vote against Donald Trump unfolded

So, what happens next? Is Mr Trump gone?

The short answer is no.

Today’s vote does not necessarily mean he will be removed from office.

The Senate will determine whether that will happen at a trial in January, with the senators sitting as jurors, House politicians serving as prosecutors known as managers, and US chief justice John Roberts presiding.

Mr Trump’s legal representatives will have the opportunity to respond to any claims made against him.

The trial could include testimonies from witnesses and a gruelling schedule in which proceedings occur six days a week for as many as six weeks.

Finally, senators will be required to vote for or against convicting Mr Trump on each of the two charges. Two-thirds of senators present must agree on a conviction to oust the commander-in-chief. But the Republicans hold the majority in the Senate so it’s likely Mr Trump will be acquitted.

The House will this week decide whether to empower House Speaker Nancy Pelosi to name impeachment managers who will act as prosecutors during the Senate trial.

“That’s the last thing we want to do is be here over Christmas,” Republican Senator John Cornyn told Politico. “I can’t imagine anyone will object. You never know for sure. It would be widely criticised by folks on both sides of the aisle, anybody who [fought it] and forced us to stay here.”

US President Donald Trump looks on as he speaks to the media prior to departing from the South Lawn of the White House in Washington, DC. Picture: Nicholas Kamm / AFP.

The US Capitol building, centre, and part of the Washington Monument, right, are seen at sunrise, on December 18, 2019, on Capitol Hill in Washington. Picture: AP /Julio Cortez.

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said last week that he would be “totally surprised” if there were the necessary 67 votes in the chamber to convict Mr Trump and signalled options for a swift trial.

Mr Trump is the fourth president in US history to face the prospect of impeachment for alleged misconduct in office. He will be the third to be impeached if the vote is in favour of it. The two other presidents impeached by the House, Bill Clinton and Andrew Johnson, were both acquitted by the Senate.

House Republicans have displayed remarkable unity during the impeachment process and none of them are expected to vote for impeachment. Twenty of the 53 Republican senators would need to join all Democratic-voting senators to reach the two-thirds supermajority the Constitution requires for impeachment.

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