the.com/impeachment
Congress's way of saying 'we need to talk' to a president, loudly.
means A formal process where a legislature charges a public official with wrongdoing, potentially leading to their removal from office — the charge itself, not the conviction.
from Traces back through French 'empeechier' (to hinder or trap) to Latin 'impedicare' — to catch in a trap or shackle the feet (from 'pes/pedis,' foot). Pleasingly, it's not actually related to 'peach' or 'impeach' in the sense of accusing — that's a coincidence of sound. The word originally meant simply to impede or obstruct someone, and over centuries narrowed into the specific political sense of formally entangling an official with charges.
- not removal
- impeachment is just the indictment, the Senate decides the verdict
- track record
- three presidents impeached, zero actually removed by Senate
- low bar
- constitution says high crimes, Congress basically defines that itself
- resignation beats it
- Nixon quit before the House could even vote