Will Trump be impeached for inciting insurrection?

A demonstrator holds a sign reading "Impeach" outside the U.S. Capitol days after supporters of U.S. President Donald Trump stormed the Capitol in Washington, U.S. January 11, 2021. Photo by REUTERS/Erin Scott

Today the House of Representatives introduced an article of impeachment against President Trump, charging him with “incitement of insurrection.”

“Which, in plain terms, means that he encouraged the violence that we experienced at the Capitol last Wednesday with his words, with his actions,” says CBS chief Congressional correspondent Nancy Cordes. “And Democrats now tell me that they have the votes that they need in order to pass not just that impeachment resolution on Wednesday in the House, but also a resolution tomorrow calling on Vice President Pence to activate the 25th Amendment and remove the president from office immediately.”

The Constitution would allow an impeachment trial to happen after a president’s term ends, says Jessica Levinson, law professor at Loyola Law School.

“Impeachment is not just about removal. Because obviously once a president’s term is over, people could say, ‘What’s the point?’ The point would be to say, ‘You can't run in 2024. And you can't raise money. You can't use the benefit of the campaign finance rubric to try and run again in 2024,’” Levinson explains.