The Democrats' articles of impeachment include a 'death blow' for Trump

The articles of impeachment announced and published by House Democrats on Tuesday obviously aim to remove President Trump from office. But the goal apparently doesn't end there.

Buried on page five of the resolution is a line that says Trump has shown he also deserves to be disqualified from holding "any office of honor, trust, or profit under the United States." Basically, it seeks to banish Trump from any aspect of U.S. political life. That might seem like a given for a president removed from office, but it actually requires a separate Senate majority vote, so this doesn't appear to be something the House Democrats just threw in to make the text sound more dramatic.

The language was also included in former President Bill Clinton's articles of impeachment, but not in former President Richard Nixon's. Tim O'Donnell

The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Sign up