Second impeachment after the Capitol attack
Editorial record through October 30, 2026. Later developments are not reflected here.
Remember when?
The House impeached Trump for incitement of insurrection after the January 6 Capitol attack. At the February 2021 trial the Senate voted 57–43 for conviction, below the two-thirds threshold, and acquitted him.
Why it matters
An unprecedented second impeachment confronted the responsibility of a departing president whose supporters attacked Congress while it certified an election.
The case tested how Congress could assess presidential conduct surrounding an attack on its own constitutional proceedings. The impeachment and the Senate’s 57–43 vote are historical facts; the failure to reach the conviction threshold is equally essential to understanding the outcome.
Administration response and important qualifications
Trump denied inciting violence and his lawyers challenged the constitutionality and merits of trying a former president. The Senate did not convict him.
Congressional proceedings and outcome
The House impeached Trump on January 13, 2021, for incitement of insurrection following the January 6 Capitol attack. The article of impeachment focused on his public statements and his conduct amid efforts to challenge certification of the 2020 election; it was a constitutional accusation by the House, not a criminal conviction.
On February 13, 2021, the Senate voted 57–43 to convict, short of the two-thirds majority required for conviction, and Trump was acquitted. Seven Republican senators joined Democrats in voting guilty. Both the House’s allegation and the Senate’s acquittal are material to an accurate account of the episode.
Start with the evidence
- Congress: H. Res. 24 article of impeachment ↗
Official House action; 57 guilty votes fell short of two-thirds Senate threshold.
- Official Senate February 13, 2021 verdict ↗
The documented Senate outcome
The official Senate roll-call record shows that on February 13, 2021, 57 senators voted to convict and 43 voted to acquit on the article of impeachment. Because conviction requires a two-thirds vote, the Senate’s formal result was acquittal. It would be inaccurate to describe the vote as a judicial finding that Trump had committed the charged offense—or as a finding that his conduct was appropriate.