The Road to Impeachment: Congress set to enter lengthy process to remove President Trump OAN Newsroom September 25, 2019

President Trump is the fourth president in the history of the United States to face an impeachment inquiry, but how does it all work exactly? Article Two, Section Four of the U.S. Constitution provides the framework for Congress to remove a president and other civil officers if lawmakers convict these officials of treason, bribery or other high crimes and misdemeanors.

First, the grounds for impeachment begin with evidence gathered from congressional investigations, outside sources or from specific events. The House Judiciary Committee is then authorized to investigate the president. After the investigation is complete, members of the Judiciary Committee or another select committee draft articles of impeachment, which detail the charges levied against the president.

The articles of impeachment are then sent to the House floor for a full vote, where only a simple majority is needed to approve the charges. If the House votes to adopt the articles of impeachment then it appoints managers to present the charges to the Senate, which is tasked by the Constitution to try the president.

The rising sun divides the West Front of the U.S. Capitol in Washington, Wednesday morning, Sept. 25, 2019, the day after Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., declared she will launch a formal impeachment inquiry against President Donald Trump. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)

The Senate leadership then informs the House when it can present the articles to the full chamber, however, there is no constitutional enforcement mechanism if the Senate majority leader refuses to hold a trial. If the Senate does proceed with a trial, the upper chamber will pass a resolution to set the rules for the proceedings.

The chief justice of the Supreme Court will preside over the case with members of the House as the prosecution and members of the Senate as the jury. In the end, at least 67 senators would have to vote to convict the president in order for him to be removed from office.

Only two of the three previous presidents to face an impeachment inquiry, Andrew Johnson and Bill Clinton, went through the entire impeachment process and were both acquitted. Richard Nixon resigned to avoid impeachment.