John,

The second impeachment trial of Donald Trump has officially begun in the U.S. Senate.

Impeachment has only happened a few times in history -- so if you’re not 100% clear on what it all means or what happens next, you’re not alone. We’ve broken down exactly what will happen in the impeachment process and what you can expect to see. If you need a refresher on what exactly impeachment is and its history, you can read more about it using our impeachment explainer guide ​here.

Let’s get to your questions:

Now that the impeachment trial has started in the Senate, what comes next? How does this whole process work?
On January 25, 2021, House managers delivered the article of impeachment to the Senate and now, the Senate is responsible for conducting a trial. Similar to a jury in a criminal or civil case, Senators consider evidence, hear witnesses, and ultimately vote on whether to acquit or convict the impeached former president. If there are not at least 67 votes -- two-thirds of the Senate -- for conviction, then the former president is acquitted.

Why is Donald Trump being impeached a second time?
The article of impeachment against Former President Donald Trump charges him with committing “high crimes and misdemeanors” for inciting insurrectionists to attack the U.S. Capitol Building on January 6, 2021 as then-Vice President Pence and both chambers of Congress met to certify the results of the 2020 Presidential Election.

Donald Trump is no longer the president, so what happens if he is convicted?
If convicted, Donald Trump could be disqualified from receiving certain benefits like a pension, office space and staff. But there’s a catch -- as a former president cannot be removed from office, it is unclear whether Trump will lose these benefits if convicted without an additional act of Congress. The Senate may also take a separate vote to disqualify him from holding future office.

How can I share this information with others?
Forward this email to them! You can also share our impeachment explainer posts on ​Instagram, ​Facebook and ​Twitter.

We hope this guide is helpful -- we’ll be back with more explainers and guides soon.

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