Senate Convicts and Removes President T̄R̄UMP in Historic Impeachment Vote

WASHINGTON — In an extraordinary and unprecedented act that will reverberate through American politics for generations, the United States Senate on Tuesday voted 68 to 32 to convict President T̄R̄UMP on charges of abuse of power and violations of the Constitution’s war powers provisions, removing him from office less than a year before the 2026 midterm elections.

The vote marked the first time in American history that a president has been removed through the impeachment process. Eighteen Republican senators joined all 50 members of the Democratic caucus to surpass the two-thirds threshold required for conviction. Within minutes of the vote’s conclusion, Vice President JD Vance was sworn in as president.

The charges stemmed from Mr. T̄R̄UMP’s authorization of a military operation in Venezuela without congressional approval — an action lawmakers from both parties described as a direct affront to Congress’s constitutional authority to declare war. The Senate trial followed weeks of public hearings in the House that featured testimony from military leaders, former administration officials and constitutional scholars who argued that the president had exceeded his lawful powers.

“The evidence in this case is overwhelming,” Senator Susan Collins, Republican of Maine, said shortly after announcing her vote to convict. “The constitutional boundaries of presidential authority are not optional. They are foundational.”

A Breaking Point for Republicans

Mr. T̄R̄UMP had survived two prior impeachments during his political career, each time acquitted by a Senate controlled by his party. In his second impeachment trial, following the January 6 attack on the Capitol, seven Republicans voted to convict — still ten short of the required threshold.

This time, the margin was decisive.

Among the Republicans voting to convict were several moderates who had previously criticized Mr. T̄R̄UMP, including Senator Lisa Murkowski of Alaska and Senator Mitt Romney of Utah. But the coalition extended beyond the party’s traditional critics. A handful of senators from reliably conservative states — some of whom had defended the president in earlier controversies — concluded that the Venezuela operation crossed a constitutional line.

In floor speeches delivered before the vote, several Republican senators framed their decision not as a repudiation of conservative policy goals but as a defense of institutional prerogatives.

“Congress cannot surrender its war powers because doing so is politically inconvenient,” Senator Romney said. “Our oath is to the Constitution, not to any individual.”

The 32 senators who voted to acquit included nearly all of the party’s most ardent supporters of the president. Many argued that the impeachment was politically motivated and warned that removing a president in an election year would inflame national divisions.

“This sets a dangerous precedent,” Senator Josh Hawley of Missouri said. “Voters — not senators — should decide the fate of a presidency months before a national election.”

The Venezuela Operation

At the center of the impeachment was Mr. T̄R̄UMP’s decision earlier this year to authorize a limited but controversial military operation in Venezuela, targeting what administration officials described as security threats linked to regional instability.

Lawmakers said the president bypassed congressional consultation and moved forward despite warnings from military advisers about legal and strategic risks. During House hearings, senior officers testified that they had advised seeking legislative authorization under the War Powers Resolution. Former aides described internal deliberations in which Mr. T̄R̄UMP dismissed congressional approval as unnecessary.

Critics pointed to civilian casualties and international backlash that followed the operation as evidence of its recklessness. Allies questioned the legality of the intervention, and several bipartisan resolutions were introduced in Congress condemning the move.

The House ultimately approved multiple articles of impeachment, including abuse of power, violation of war powers, and obstruction of Congress. While the vote was largely partisan, a small number of Republicans supported at least one article — an early sign of fractures within the party.

Immediate Consequences

With conviction secured, Mr. T̄R̄UMP was immediately removed from office under Article II of the Constitution. Mr. Vance, previously vice president, assumed the presidency in a brief ceremony at the Capitol.

The Senate is expected to consider a separate vote in the coming days on whether to bar Mr. T̄R̄UMP from holding federal office in the future. That measure requires only a simple majority.

Legal experts said the conviction strips Mr. T̄R̄UMP of the protections associated with the presidency, potentially accelerating ongoing criminal proceedings in several jurisdictions. Investigations related to election interference, classified documents and other matters had proceeded slowly while he remained in office.

“This fundamentally changes his legal posture,” said Deborah Pearlstein, a constitutional law scholar at Princeton University. “He is now a private citizen, without the institutional tools that come with the presidency.”

Political Shockwaves

The political consequences are likely to be profound.

Within the Republican Party, the vote exposed a deep ideological divide between lawmakers aligned with Mr. T̄R̄UMP’s populist movement and those who prioritize institutional norms. Several senators who voted to convict are already facing threats of primary challenges from Trump-aligned candidates.

“This is a defining moment,” said Sarah Longwell, a Republican strategist critical of the former president. “The party now has to decide whether it is fundamentally about one man or about conservative governance.”

The conviction also reshapes the landscape ahead of the 2028 presidential election. If barred from future office, Mr. T̄R̄UMP would be ineligible to seek the presidency again, clearing the field for potential Republican contenders who had long operated in his shadow.

For Democrats, the removal presents both opportunity and uncertainty. Party leaders had increasingly framed upcoming elections as a referendum on Mr. T̄R̄UMP’s leadership. With him out of office, they must recalibrate their strategy.

“This is uncharted territory,” said Representative Jamie Raskin, Democrat of Maryland, who served as a House impeachment manager. “But accountability was necessary. No president is above the law.”

A Fragile Moment

In the hours following the vote, Mr. T̄R̄UMP denounced the outcome, calling it a “coup” and insisting in a statement that he remained the rightful president. Supporters gathered outside the White House and at state capitols across the country, though demonstrations remained largely peaceful as of Tuesday evening.

Federal officials said they were monitoring potential security threats. Law enforcement agencies increased their presence around key government buildings.

Constitutional scholars emphasized that the process unfolded according to the framework established by the founders.

“The Senate’s verdict is final,” said Laurence Tribe, a professor emeritus at Harvard Law School. “There is no appeal. The transfer of power is immediate and lawful.”

Still, the removal underscores both the resilience and fragility of American democratic institutions. Impeachment, once considered a theoretical safeguard, has now been used to its fullest extent. But it required extraordinary circumstances — bipartisan consensus, extensive public hearings and significant political risk — to succeed.

“The system worked,” said Ms. Pearlstein. “But it worked at the outer edge of crisis.”

As Washington begins to absorb the implications of a president’s removal, one fact is clear: the Senate’s decision has redrawn the boundaries of executive accountability. Whether it marks a turning point toward renewed institutional stability or the beginning of deeper political upheaval remains uncertain.

For now, the nation confronts a historic reality. A president has been impeached, convicted and removed — and the reverberations are only beginning.