Numerous federal officials in the United States have been threatened with impeachment and removal from office. Despite numerous impeachment investigations and votes to impeach a number of presidents by the House of Representatives, only three presidents in U.S. history have had articles of impeachment approved: Andrew Johnson, Bill Clinton, and Donald Trump (twice), all of which were acquitted in the Senate. Impeachment proceedings against both John Tyler and Richard Nixon began and made it out of committee, but Nixon resigned before the actual debate on the floor of the House began. To date, no president impeached by the House of Representatives has ever been removed from office by the Senate.

Presidents

While there have been demands for the impeachment of most presidents, only three — Andrew Johnson in 1868, Bill Clinton in 1999 and Donald Trump in 2019— have actually been impeached. A second impeachment of Donald Trump was adopted, making him the first US President to be impeached twice. All three were acquitted by the United States Senate and not removed from office. Removal requires an impeachment vote from the House of Representatives and a conviction from the Senate. Impeachment proceedings against two other presidents, John Tyler and Richard Nixon made it out of committee, but Nixon resigned in 1974 before the actual debate on the floor of the House began. Every president elected since 1980, with the exception of Barack Obama, has been the subject of at least one resolution introduced into Congress with the purpose of impeachment.

The following presidents have had resolutions introduced to initiate proceedings and many have gotten to the hearing stage.

John Tyler (Whig) After President John Tyler vetoed the bill to introduce tariffs, a committee led by former President John Quincy Adams condemn Tyler's use of a veto and considered that he should be impeached. However, in 1843, the first impeachment proposal against Tyler was not successful with a total of 127-83 votes, as they all knew that Tyler's likely acquittal would likely upset the Whig party.

James Buchanan (Democrat)

During most of 1860, the "Covode Committee" held hearings on whether to impeach President James Buchanan. While it found no real cause suitable enough for the proposal to impeach Buchanan, it did find that his administration was the most corrupt since the foundation of the Republic.

Andrew Johnson (National Union; formerly Democrat)

Several attempts were made to remove President Andrew Johnson from office. The first occurred on January 7, 1867, when Rep. James M. Ashley of Ohio, introduced a resolution accusing him of corruption. On November 21, 1867, the House Judiciary Committee produced a bill of impeachment that consisted of a vast collection of complaints against Johnson. After a furious debate, a formal vote was held in the House of Representatives on December 5, 1867, which failed 57-108.Trefousse, 1989 pages 302–3 Another impeachment vote the following year succeeded, and a Senate trial acquitted Johnson by one vote.

Richard M. Nixon (Republican) On October 30, 1973, the House Judiciary Committee began consideration of the possible impeachment of Richard Nixon. The initial straight party-line votes by a 21–17 margin that established an impeachment inquiry were focused around how extensive the subpoena powers Rodino would have would be.

After a three-month-long investigation, and with public pressure to impeach the president growing, the House passed a resolution, , on February 6, 1974, that gave the Judiciary Committee authority to actually investigate charges against the President.-50-63 The hearings lasted until the summer when, after much wrangling, the Judiciary Committee voted three articles of impeachment to the floor of the House, the furthest an impeachment proceeding had progressed in over a century.

With the release of new tapes — after the administration lost the case of US v. Nixon — and with impeachment and removal by the Senate all but certain, on August 9, 1974, Nixon became the first and only president to resign.

Bill Clinton (Democrat)

In 1998, the Clinton–Lewinsky scandal and the Starr Report, an impeachment inquiry was launched against President Bill Clinton. Clinton was ultimately impeached in December 1998, and was acquitted in his impeachment trial in early 1999.

Donald Trump (Republican)

Within weeks of taking office, members of Congress declared that President Trump may have committed impeachable offences in relation with Executive Order 13769. On July 12, 2017, Representative Al Green (D) and Representative Brad Sherman (D) introduced H. Res. 438, exhibiting one article of impeachment. This and later motions were eventually tabled by a large majority or died in committee.

On September 24, 2019, Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi announced an impeachment inquiry into President Trump based on allegations laid out in a whistleblower report. A resolution enacting a rules package to govern the investigation was passed on 31 October by a vote of 232–196 in which all Republicans and two Democrats voted against the resolution. Public impeachment hearings began in the House on 13 November, and on December 10, 2019, the House Judiciary Committee published two articles of impeachment against President Trump, charging him with abuse of power and obstruction of Congress. Trump was impeached by the House of Representatives on December 18, 2019. The impeachment trial of Donald Trump was then held from January 16 to February 5, 2020, with the Republican-controlled Senate acquitting Trump.

Trump was impeached for the second time on January 13, 2021, for incitement of insurrection, after the storming of the United States Capitol one week earlier. The Senate trial began February 9, 2021, and concluded on February 13, 2021.

Joe Biden (Democrat)

On September 12, 2023, Kevin McCarthy, the then-speaker of the United States House of Representatives, announced an impeachment inquiry into President Joe Biden. The inquiry was conducted by the House's Judiciary, Oversight and Ways and Means committees. James Comer, chairman of the Oversight Committee, was named to lead the investigation.

Speaker McCarthy had twelve days earlier said an inquiry would require a majority House vote. He initiated the inquiry by stating that recent House investigations allegedly "paint a picture of corruption" by Joe Biden and his family, particularly regarding that the President had benefitted from the foreign business dealings of Hunter Biden.

On December 13, 2023, the House of Representatives voted 221–212 to formalize the inquiry. Lawmakers voted along party lines to back a resolution that Republicans said gave them more power to gather evidence and enforce legal demands.

Vice Presidents

As of March 22, no Vice President has been impeached, but one has had an impeachment investigation against them.

John C. Calhoun (Democratic-Republican) In 1826, Vice President John C. Calhoun himself requested a House impeachment inquiry be launched into him regarding allegations that he had profited from a contract during his tenure as United States secretary of war. His request was granted, and a House select committee conducted an impeachment inquiry which, in only a matter of weeks, found Calhoun innocent of wrongdoing.

Cabinet secretaries Secretary of War William Belknap (Democrat before 1865, Republican 1865-1890) In 1876, William W. Belknap was impeached by a unanimous vote of the House of Representatives shortly after he had resigned for allegedly having received money in return for post tradership appointments.Precedents, Volume III, Chapter LXXVII, section 2444, pp. 903–904. Speaker of the House Michael C. Kerr wrote to the Senate that Belknap resigned "with intent to evade the proceedings of impeachment against him."Precedents, Volume III, Chapter LXXVII, section 2454, p. 922. Belknap was tried by the Senate, which ruled by a vote of 37–29 that it had jurisdiction despite the resignation.Precedents, Volume III, Chapter LXXVII, section 2459, p. 934 The vote on conviction fell short of the two-thirds required, with 35 to 37 votes for each article and 25 votes against each. Two of those voting for conviction, 22 of those voting for acquittal, and one who declined to vote said they felt that the Senate did not have jurisdiction due to Belknap's resignation.Precedents, Volume III, Chapter LXXVII, section 2467, pp. 945–946.

, Belknap has been the only cabinet secretary to have been impeached by the House and tried by the Senate.

Attorney General Harry M. Daugherty (Republican) In 1922, the House Judiciary Committee held hearings on whether to impeach Attorney General Harry Daugherty. Despite evidence of wrongdoing, impeachment articles were not reported to the full House.

However it was his alleged knowledge of a kickback scam involving bootleggers (operated by his chief aide Jess Smith) that led to his eventual resignation on March 28, 1924. As the subject of a U.S. Senate investigation begun the year before, spearheaded under the direction of Senator Burton K. Wheeler of Montana, Daugherty, was eventually found not guilty in the investigation.

Secretary of the Treasury Andrew Mellon (Republican) In January 1932, Rep. Wright Patman and others introduced articles of impeachment against Andrew Mellon, with hearings before the House Judiciary Committee at the end of that month. After the hearings were over, but before the scheduled vote on whether to report the articles to the full House, Mellon accepted an appointment to the post of Ambassador to the Court of St. James, and resigned, thus rendering further action on the issue moot.

Secretary of the Treasury William Woodin, Eugene Meyer, Andrew Mellon and Federal Reserve Board (All Republicans) On May 23, 1933 Rep. Louis Thomas McFadden introduced articles of impeachment against Eugene Meyer, Secretary of the Treasury William Woodin, two former Treasury Secretaries (Andrew Mellon and Ogden L. Mills); J. F. T. O'Connor (Comptroller of Currency); John W. Pole (former Comptroller of Currency); four members and three former members of the Federal Reserve Board; twelve Federal Reserve Agents; and one former Federal Reserve Agent. There was a hearing on the subject before the House Judiciary Committee, but nothing became of it.

Labor Secretary Francis Perkins (Democrat), Immigration and Naturalization Commissioner James Houghteling, and Solicitor of the Department of Labor Gerard Reilly

On January 24, 1939, Rep. J. Parnell Thomas offered an impeachment resolution against the above federal officials.84 Cong. Rec. 702 (1939) The resolution was referred to the Judiciary Committee,84 Cong. Rec. 711 (1939) where it died a quiet death.

Congressional conservatives were angered with Secretary Francis Perkins when she had refused to deport Harry Bridges, the head of the International Longshore and Warehouse Union. Bridges, an Australian longshoreman who came to America in 1920, was accused of being a Communist.

Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas (Democrat)

On November 13, 2023, a motion to impeach Mayorkas was sent to the Homeland Security Committee by Congress. Three months later, the Committee voted to advance the motion to the floor. On February 6, 2024, the impeachment failed to pass in the House by a margin of 214-216, with four Republican votes against. On February 13, 2024, the impeachment passed in the House by a margin of 214-213, with three Republicans against. The Senate dismissed both articles without trial on April 17 in two votes along party lines.

Pete Hegseth In December 2025, Shri Thanedar introduced articles of impeachment () in the house against Pete Hegseth.

In April 2026, Yassamin Ansari introduced articles of impeachment () in the house against Pete Hegseth.

Robert F. Kennedy Jr. In December 2025, Haley Stevens introduced articles of impeachment () in the house against Robert F. Kennedy Jr..