VOTES NEEDED TO IMPEACH TRUMP
This fact-check may be outdated. Consider refreshing it to get the most current information.
Executive summary
Two different votes are required at different stages: a simple majority in the U.S. House of Representatives is needed to adopt articles of impeachment (218 of 435 if all seats vote), and a two‑thirds majority of Senators present is required to convict and remove a president in the U.S. Senate (67 of 100 if all vote) [1] [2]. Recent floor actions show Rep. Al Green forced House consideration of impeachment resolutions in 2025, but the House previously tabled a motion related to H.Res.537 by a large margin (yea 344, nay 79) rather than pass articles that would go to the Senate [3] [4].
1. What votes are legally required to impeach and remove a president
The Constitution creates a two‑step process: the House “impeaches” by adopting articles of impeachment by a simple majority vote; if the House adopts articles, the Senate conducts a trial, and conviction and removal require a two‑thirds vote of Senators present — commonly understood as 67 votes if all 100 Senators participate [1] [2]. Congress.gov summarizes impeachment resolutions and the framers’ framework; a House majority forwards charges to the Senate, and the Senate’s supermajority threshold is the decisive barrier to removal [1] [2].
2. Recent practice: forcing a House vote vs. winning one
Representative Al Green has repeatedly filed privileged articles to force House floor action in 2025; a privileged resolution compels the House to act within two legislative days, putting members on the record even if the motion is unlikely to pass [5] [6]. The political reality in the current 119th Congress matters: tabling or voting to table can be used to neutralize privileged impeachment efforts without the House ever adopting articles that would be sent to the Senate [4] [3].
3. What happened on June 24, 2025 — a practical example
On June 24, 2025 the House recorded Roll Call 175 on a motion related to H.Res.537, and the Clerk’s official tally shows 344 yeas and 79 nays on the motion to table the resolution — meaning the House voted to table the impeachment motion rather than adopt articles and refer them to the Senate [3]. GovTrack’s coverage and the Clerk’s record confirm this procedural outcome: members chose to block consideration rather than advance impeachment [4] [3].
4. Political math: why the Senate hurdle matters
Historical practice and commentary by House members emphasize that removal by the Senate is difficult; eight of 22 presidential impeachment efforts resulted in conviction in the Senate historically, underscoring how rare convictions are even when the House impeaches [2]. The two‑thirds requirement makes conviction a high political bar; past Trump impeachments proceeded to the Senate and resulted in acquittal despite House votes [7] [8].
5. Competing viewpoints in the sources
Sources present competing framings. Supporters of Green’s moves argue forcing votes holds members accountable and documents alleged abuses [5] [9]. Critics — including coverage noting House GOP control or opposition within Democrats — say such efforts are politically ineffective and unlikely to succeed, and may be timed poorly [10] [11] [6]. Bloomberg Government and Newsweek both report that Al Green’s tactics are intended to force a record vote but face steep partisan obstacles [12] [11].
6. Limitations and what the reporting does not say
Available sources document the procedural thresholds and the June 24, 2025 tabling vote, but they do not provide a contemporaneous Senate vote count scenario for any new articles filed in December 2025; available sources do not mention how many Senators would vote to convict if the House were to adopt new articles after Rep. Green’s December 10 filing [5] [3]. The sources also do not lay out detailed legal analyses of the specific articles in H.Res.939 filed Dec. 10, 2025 beyond press summaries [5].
7. Bottom line for readers
Procedurally, a simple House majority impeaches and a two‑thirds Senate majority convicts and removes [1] [2]. Practically, forcing floor consideration — as Rep. Al Green has done — makes members record their votes but does not guarantee adoption; the House’s June 24, 2025 tabling vote shows the path from privileged filing to actual impeachment is often stopped by procedural votes [3] [4]. The political hurdle in the Senate remains the decisive constraint on removal [2].