When a U.S. president is impeached, it means the House of Representatives has formally charged them with serious misconduct, but they do not automatically lose their job.

Quick Scoop: What “Impeached” Really Means

Think of impeachment as the political equivalent of an indictment, not a conviction.

  • The Constitution allows impeachment for “Treason, Bribery, or other high Crimes and Misdemeanors.”
  • The House of Representatives votes on “articles of impeachment” (the formal charges).
  • If a simple majority of House members vote yes, the president is impeached and this goes into the history books permanently.
  • Even after impeachment by the House, the president stays in office while the process moves to the Senate.

Step‑by‑Step: What Happens After Impeachment

Once impeached, the action shifts to the Senate for a trial.

  1. Senate trial begins
    • Selected House members act as prosecutors (called “managers”).
 * The Chief Justice of the Supreme Court presides when the president is on trial.

 * Senators serve as the jury and hear evidence and arguments.
  1. Conviction or acquittal
    • To convict, at least two‑thirds of the senators present must vote “guilty.”
 * If there are not enough votes, the president is acquitted, stays in office, and finishes the term (impeached but **not** removed).
  1. If the president is convicted
    • The president is removed from office immediately.
 * The vice president becomes president for the remainder of the term.

 * The Senate **may** also hold a separate vote to bar that person from holding federal office in the future.

What Changes If the President Is Removed?

Impeachment and removal change the person in office, but they do not retroactively erase their presidency.

  • Laws signed by the removed president still remain valid.
  • Executive orders and regulations stay in place unless changed or revoked by the new president.
  • Judges and other officials already confirmed by the Senate keep their jobs; they are not automatically fired.
  • After removal, the former president can still face criminal charges or civil lawsuits for the same underlying conduct.

A real‑world style example: if a president were impeached and convicted for obstruction of justice, they would be removed, the vice president would be sworn in, but all past laws and appointments from that presidency would still stand unless later undone.

Why People Say “Impeached but Still in Office”?

You’ll often see forum threads asking why “impeached” presidents are still sitting in the Oval Office.

  • Impeachment = formal charges by the House (like an indictment).
  • Removal = conviction by a two‑thirds vote in the Senate.
  • A president can be impeached one or more times and never be removed if the Senate does not reach the two‑thirds threshold.

So when people online complain, “What’s the point if they don’t have to leave?” the answer is: it’s still a major constitutional punishment and a permanent stain on their record, even if the Senate ultimately acquits.

Extra Little Twist: Life After Impeachment

Impeachment and removal are political remedies, not criminal punishment.

  • The Constitution explicitly says that someone convicted in impeachment is still “liable and subject to Indictment, Trial, Judgment and Punishment, according to Law.”
  • Federal benefits can be affected: for example, former presidents removed after impeachment do not qualify for certain pension benefits, though they still get lifetime Secret Service protection.
  • A former president who is impeached but not removed (because the Senate acquitted) generally keeps normal post‑presidency benefits.

TL;DR

  • Impeached = House charges the president; they stay in office at this stage.
  • Removed = Senate convicts by two‑thirds; the president is kicked out and the vice president takes over.
  • Past actions (laws, appointments, orders) do not automatically vanish.
  • Even after removal, the ex‑president can still be prosecuted in regular courts.

Bottom note: Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.