It is happening. This morning, House Democrats officially drew two articles of impeachment against president Donald J. Trump.

“Today, in service to our duty to the constitution and to our country, the House Committee on the Judiciary is introducing two articles of impeachment charging the President of the United States, Donald J. Trump, with committing high crimes and misdemeanors,” said the House Judiciary Committee Chairman, Jerrold Nadler, in an aired news conference this morning. 

There are only two times in United States history where talk of impeachment has resulted in the official impeachment of the president, as it is an extreme but necessary form of action to be taken by Congress. 

“[Impeachment] is an extraordinary remedy and one that I’ve been reluctant to recommend, until the actions of president Trump gave Congress no alternative […] To do nothing would make ourselves complicit,” said House Intelligence Committee Chair Adam Schiff in the same news conference where House Democrats first released the articles. 

The two articles of impeachment outlined are “abuse of power” and “obstruction of Congress,” being “efforts that compromised our national security and threatened the integrity of our elections,” said Nadler. 

Nadler included how the president’s actions reflect a false position above the law. 

“A president who declares himself above accountability, above the American people and above Congress’s power of impeachment,” said Nadler. 

These articles of impeachment follow after several months of investigation following a whistleblower account of a conversation between Ukrainan president, Volodymyr Zelensky, and US president, Donald J. Trump.*

Trump had an immediate response to the announcement of the official articles, in a tweet calling Nadler’s statements about Trump’s alleged efforts to pressure the Ukraine “ridiculous.”

When it comes to the future of Trump’s impeachment, much is uncertain since Congress decides the rules of how the impeachment trial proceeds. If the articles of impeachment are voted to pass through the house, it will then move into a trial and the ball is in the hands of the Senate. At any point a senator can call for a vote on the dismissal of the charges. Following the trial, the Senate will vote. The Senate vote requires a two-thirds vote to convict and remove the president from office.

It is now a waiting game. 

*More information about the initial event and investigation can be found in the previous Royal Banner article titled “‘No one is above the law” — Students react to Trump’s Impeachment.”