Trump calls for Hakeem Jeffries' impeachment. Can that happen?

• Donald Trump say Republicans should impeach House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries.
• The Constitutional impeachment text likely does not apply to members of Congress.

President Donald Trump called on Republicans to impeach House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, but is that even possible?

"Hakeem Jeffries, a Low IQ individual, said our Supreme Court is 'illegitimate.' After saying such a thing, isn’t he subject to Impeachment? I got impeached for A PERFECT PHONE CALL. Where are you Republicans? Why not get it started? They’ll be doing this to me!" Trump said in a May 3 Truth Social post. Jeffries' comment about the Supreme Court was made at a press conference on April 29 ruling that limited the Voting Rights Act.

Jeffries responded to the post by writing on X, "Jeffries Derangement Syndrome," an apparent nod to "Trump derangement syndrome," which Trump allies often use to describe his critics.

It is possible for members of Congress to be removed by their colleagues, but it isn't through impeachment. Here is what to know:

What is an impeachment?

An impeachment is akin to an indictment; it approves formal charges against a federal officeholder who has been accused of committing a crime. The impeachment clause names the president, vice president and "all civil officers of the U.S." as eligible.

The articles (charges) of impeachment must be adopted by a simple majority vote in the House before the Senate holds an impeachment trial. When a president is on trial, the Supreme Court chief justice presides. If the Senate votes by a two-thirds majority to convict, only then can the accused be removed from office. Sometimes, that also means they can never hold office again.

Can Hakeem Jeffries be impeached?

The impeachment text likely does not apply to members of Congress, according to Constitution Annotated, a government-sanctioned analysis and interpretation of the U.S. Constitution.

The Constitution does grant the power of expulsion for Congress to remove an elected official, to "punish its Members for disorderly Behaviour, and, with the Concurrence of two thirds, expel a Member." 

Why was Donald Trump impeached?

Trump has been impeached twice, but the Senate acquitted him both times.

In December 2019, the House voted to impeach Trump on two articles, one charging him with abuse of power by asking Ukrainian officials to investigate his political opponent and another that he obstructed the congressional investigation into the matter. In February 2020, the Senate voted to acquit the president, and Sen. Mitt Romney, R-Utah, was the only Republican to cross party lines in voting to convict.

In January 2021, the House voted to impeach Trump again, charging the president with "incitement to insurrection" related to the events at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. The Senate trial occurred after Trump left office, and some Republicans found it unnecessary since he was no longer in power. A majority voted to convict, with seven Republicans crossing party lines, but the 57-43 vote fell short of the two-thirds majority needed for a conviction. Because he was acquitted, there was no vote to bar him from holding office again.

Contributing: Maureen Groppe, Jeanine Santucci, Sudiksha Kochi, Michael Collins, George Petras, John Fritze, USA TODAY

Kinsey Crowley is the Trump Connect reporter for the USA TODAY Network. Reach her at [email protected]. Follow her onX (Twitter),Threads,Bluesky andTikTok.