Pelosi leads the House in a second impeachment of President Trump, becoming the first Speaker to oversee two impeachments of the same president.
On January 13, 2021, following the January 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol, Speaker Nancy Pelosi led the House of Representatives in a historic second impeachment of President Donald Trump, this time on a single article charging incitement of insurrection. With this vote, Trump became the first U.S. president impeached twice, and Pelosi became the first Speaker to oversee two impeachments of the same sitting president.
Pelosi moved swiftly after the attack, describing it as an assault on democracy and the peaceful transfer of power. The impeachment article focused on Trump’s rhetoric and actions leading up to the storming of the Capitol by his supporters in an effort to disrupt certification of the 2020 election results. On January 13, the House approved the article with support from nearly all Democrats and ten Republicans, reflecting a rare moment of bipartisan support for impeachment.
The second impeachment was historically significant for its timing, gravity, and implications for accountability. It underscored the House’s willingness, under Pelosi’s leadership, to wield its constitutional powers even in the final days of a presidency. Although the Senate again acquitted Trump, the proceeding established a formal condemnation of attempts to overturn an election and further defined Pelosi’s legacy as a central figure in defending congressional authority and electoral integrity during a period of profound democratic strain.