Impeaching Donald John Trump, President of the United States, for high crimes and misdemeanors.

Article of impeachment exhibited by the House of Representatives of the United States of America in the name of itself and of the people of the United States of America, against Donald John Trump, President of the United States of America, in maintenance and support of its impeachment against him for high crimes and misdemeanors.

The Constitution provides that the House of Representatives “shall have the sole Power of Impeachment” and that the President “shall be removed from Office on Impeachment for, and Conviction of, Treason, Bribery, or other high Crimes and Misdemeanors”. Further, Article II of the Constitution states that the President “shall take Care that the Laws be faithfully executed”, the Fourth Amendment of the Constitution states that “The right of the people … against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated”, and the Fifth Amendment of the Constitution states “No person shall be … deprived of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law”. In his conduct of the office of President of the United States—and in violation of his constitutional oath to faithfully to execute the office of President of the United States and, to the best of his ability, preserve, protect, and defend the Constitution of the United States, and in violation of his constitutional duty to take care that the laws be faithfully executed—Donald John Trump has abused the powers of the Presidency in a manner offensive to, and subversive of, the Constitution, in that:

Using the power of his high office, Donald John Trump has engaged in this scheme or course of conduct through the following means:

In all of this, Donald John Trump has willfully disregarded Federal laws and the Constitution, imperiled a coequal branch of Government, and threatened the integrity of the democratic system. He thereby betrayed his trust as President, abused the powers of the Presidency, acted in a manner grossly incompatible with self-governance and the rule of law, and has committed the High Crimes and Misdemeanors of obstruction of justice and effecting a wide-ranging scheme to destroy and corrupt the legal system and the powers of the courts under Article III of the Constitution.

Wherefore, Donald John Trump, by such conduct, has demonstrated that he is unfit to govern a Nation by and for the people, has acted in a manner grossly incompatible with self-governance and the rule of law, and will remain a threat to the Constitution if allowed to remain in office.

The Constitution provides that the House of Representatives “shall have the sole Power of Impeachment” and that the President “shall be removed from Office on Impeachment for, and Conviction of, Treason, Bribery, or other high Crimes and Misdemeanors”. Further, Section 9 of Article I of the Constitution states that “No money shall be drawn from the Treasury, but in Consequence of Appropriations made by Law”. In his conduct of the office of President of the United States—and in violation of his constitutional oath to faithfully to execute the office of President of the United States and, to the best of his ability, preserve, protect, and defend the Constitution of the United States, and in violation of his constitutional duty to take care that the laws be faithfully executed—Donald John Trump has abused the powers of the Presidency in a manner offensive to, and subversive of, the Constitution, in that:

Using the powers of his high office, Donald John Trump unlawfully usurped Congress and its power to appropriate funds, thereby nullifying the Appropriations Clause in the Constitution and violating the Impoundment Control Act of 1974. Since taking office, he has signed numerous Executive Orders directing agencies to withhold funds appropriated by Congress. The President does not have the power to override spending laws or impound appropriated funds, a principle affirmed by numerous Supreme Court rulings.

Donald John Trump has withheld funds and terminated en masse Federal employees and numerous Federal agencies and departments, including the following:

Using the powers of his high office, Donald John Trump has unlawfully withheld congressionally appropriated funds and attempted to dismantle congressionally mandated agencies. By withholding funds and crippling agencies, he has prevented the Federal Government from performing critical duties here and abroad. He has threatened the well-being of United States citizens through the gross misconduct of his office, resulting in dire and life-threatening consequences on the world’s most vulnerable populations.

Wherefore, Donald John Trump, by such conduct, has demonstrated that he is unfit to govern a Nation by and for the people, has acted in a manner grossly incompatible with self-governance and the rule of law, and will remain a threat to the Constitution if allowed to remain in office.

The Constitution provides that the House of Representatives “shall have the sole Power of Impeachment” and that the President “shall be removed from Office on Impeachment for, and Conviction of, Treason, Bribery, or other high Crimes and Misdemeanors”. Further, Section 8 of Article I of the Constitution states, “Congress shall have Power To lay and collect Taxes, Duties, Imposts and Excises, . . . but all Duties, Imposts and Excises shall be uniform throughout the United States”. In his conduct of the office of President of the United States—and in violation of his constitutional oath to faithfully to execute the office of President of the United States and, to the best of his ability, preserve, protect, and defend the Constitution of the United States, and in violation of his constitutional duty to take care that the laws be faithfully executed—Donald John Trump has abused the powers of the Presidency in a manner offensive to, and subversive of, the Constitution, in that:

Using the powers of his high office, Donald John Trump abused trade powers by imposing unjustifiable and unreasonable tariffs on foreign nations, causing a sharp decline in the United States economy and the economies of countries around the world, and declaring the false existence of a national security emergency to justify his actions. Donald John Trump’s tariffs contradicted trade agreements established by his Administration and other administrations, including the duly ratified and binding treaty obligations of the United States, thereby breaking international laws and norms, leading to countries around the world to enact damaging tariffs on goods and services originating from the United States. His “Liberation Day” scheme, which imposed 10 percent tariffs on all countries, as well as additional tariffs based on a formula for “reciprocity” widely mocked as nonsensical, led to the most significant drop in the financial markets since the 2020 crash triggered by the COVID–19 pandemic.

Additionally, Donald John Trump has threatened foreign nations with invasion, the annexation of territory, and the occupation of sovereign territory through the use of military action. By doing this, he has implicated the United States and himself in violation of constitutionally binding treaty obligations, to include the North Atlantic Treaty of 1949, the General Treaty for Renunciation of War as an Instrument of National Policy of 1928, the Charter of the United Nations of 1945, and the Inter-American Treaty of Reciprocal Assistance of 1947. Donald John Trump threatened the following:

Using the powers of his high office, Donald John Trump has unlawfully conducted himself, bringing shame and embarrassment to the office of the Presidency and the people of the United States. He has betrayed the trust of the Nation to conduct meaningful diplomatic negotiations as its chief diplomat and failed to maintain peaceful economic and defense relations with foreign countries. He has threatened the security of the United States through gross misconduct of his office, prompting hostilities towards Americans here and abroad, as well as foreign nations warning their citizens against visiting the United States, further harming the Nation’s economy.

Wherefore, Donald John Trump, by such conduct, has demonstrated that he is unfit to govern a Nation by and for the people, has acted in a manner grossly incompatible with self-governance and the rule of law, and will remain a threat to the Constitution if allowed to remain in office.

The Constitution provides that the House of Representatives “shall have the sole Power of Impeachment” and that the President “shall be removed from Office on Impeachment for, and Conviction of, Treason, Bribery, or other high Crimes and Misdemeanors”. Further, the First Amendment of the Constitution states “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances”. In his conduct of the office of President of the United States—and in violation of his constitutional oath to faithfully to execute the office of President of the United States and, to the best of his ability, preserve, protect, and defend the Constitution of the United States, and in violation of his constitutional duty to take care that the laws be faithfully executed—Donald John Trump has abused the powers of the Presidency in a manner offensive to, and subversive of, the Constitution, in that:

By his orders and directions to subordinates, retaliated against law firms and attorneys who have advised or represented, or been associated with those who advise or represent, litigants who displease him, in violation of the Constitution’s prohibition on retaliation against individuals for engaging in First Amendment-protected conduct, including the right to petition the government for redress of grievances. Specifically, he has, barred attorneys at certain law firms from access to Federal buildings, arbitrarily revoked security clearances without a reasonable basis, threatened to cancel Federal contracts with any entity engaging the targeted attorneys and firms, and demanded pro bono services from law firms in exchange for the discontinuation of the punitive Executive orders.

Additionally, Donald John Trump has engaged in a pattern of unconstitutional, unlawful, and corrupt retaliation against critics and political opponents, a flagrant violation of constitutional rights protected by the First Amendment. He has weaponized the Department of Justice and other agencies to engage in spurious investigations and harassment, with no basis in law, of public figures and his perceived political enemies.

Since taking office, Donald John Trump has directed the Department of Justice to dismiss more than a dozen prosecutors who were involved in investigations against him after he left office in 2021. The Department of Justice has subsequently launched investigations into officials involved in prior probes against Donald John Trump, in some cases against individuals specifically named and accused in flagrantly improper Executive orders.

Furthermore, he has made direct and unambiguous public statements threatening media outlets, current and former officeholders, and advocacy organizations. He has pursued meritless litigation, leveraged his public office for private gain, and perverted the course of justice and the integrity of the judicial system to extract tens of millions of dollars in putative settlements, effectively acting as a conduit for flagrant bribery and extortion. He has restricted the access of the Associated Press after they refused to use the name “Gulf of America” in their reporting and has defied court orders to cease this unconstitutional action. He has also threatened current and former members of Congress for the exercise of their legislative and oversight functions, an attack on the independence of Congress as a coequal branch of government as established by the Constitution's Article I Vesting Clause, and by the Constitution’s Speech or Debate Clause, in addition to the First Amendment.

For example, Donald John Trump has repeatedly threatened members of the House Select Committee on the January 6th Attack on the United States Capitol, which investigated the attack on the Capitol that Donald John Trump instigated. Donald John Trump has sought to intimidate the members and staff of the United States House Select Committee on the January 6th Attack, stating that they “should fully understand that they are subject to investigation at the highest level” and expressing a desire to remove the pardons they received, stating “The “Pardons” that Sleepy Joe Biden gave to the Unselect Committee of Political Thugs, and many others, are hereby declared [void, vacant, and of no further force or effect]”.

Donald John Trump has made it clear that he will not rest until all of his perceived political enemies are eliminated. In a speech addressing his Department of Justice subordinates, Donald John Trump further laid out his fascist vision for the Department of Justice. He has targeted watchdog organizations like the Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington, calling them “scum” and independent media outlets like CNN and MSNBC, labelling them as organizations that “literally write 97.6 percent bad about me, are political arms of the Democrat Party. And in my opinion, they are really corrupt and they are illegal. What they do is illegal.”. He has stated that newspapers critical of him are “really no different than a highly paid political operative. And it has to stop. It has to be illegal. It’s influencing judges . . . it just cannot be legal.”.

By these and many other actions, he has sought to outlaw dissent, opposition, and criticism of himself and his Administration. This attack on the constitutional rights to freedom of speech, and of association, and of the right to petition the government for redress of grievances, is wholly incompatible with the rights and liberties of the People of the United States as a self-governing people under the rule of law.

In purpose and effect, he has attempted to suppress dissent and opposition, casting a chilling effect over the public discourse, and striking at the core freedoms essential to a free society and democratic elections under the Constitution.

Wherefore, Donald John Trump, by such conduct, has demonstrated that he is unfit to govern a Nation by and for the people, has acted in a manner grossly incompatible with self-governance and the rule of law, and will remain a threat to the Constitution if allowed to remain in office.

The Constitution provides that the House of Representatives “shall have the sole Power of Impeachment” and that the President “shall be removed from Office on Impeachment for, and Conviction of, Treason, Bribery, or other high Crimes and Misdemeanors”. Further, Section 2 of Article II of the Constitution states that the President “shall appoint Ambassadors, other public Ministers and Consuls, Judges of the supreme Court, and all other Officers of the United States … but the Congress may by Law vest the Appointment of such inferior Officers, as they think proper, in the President alone, in the Courts of Law, or in the Heads of Departments”. In his conduct of the office of President of the United States—and in violation of his constitutional oath to faithfully to execute the office of President of the United States and, to the best of his ability, preserve, protect, and defend the Constitution of the United States, and in violation of his constitutional duty to take care that the laws be faithfully executed—Donald John Trump has abused the powers of the Presidency in a manner offensive to, and subversive of, the Constitution, in that:

Using the powers of his high office, Donald John Trump has, through unlawful orders and directives, created an unlawful office, the so-called Department of Government Efficiency (“DOGE”), and assigned an extensive range of unlawful powers, effectively granting this flagrantly unconstitutional creation significant control over the executive branch. Donald John Trump has appointed Mr. Elon Musk as the de facto head of this contrived entity, which was not created or funded by any law, without a formal title or office. These actions have been in direct violation of the Constitution’s requirement that principal officers of the United States must be created by law and their appointees confirmed by the Senate, and that inferior offices must be created by law with their appointment vested as Congress may determine.

Additionally, he has vested these powers in Mr. Musk without complying with the constitutional requirement that all officers of the United States be commissioned by the President and swear an oath of office to support the Constitution. Mr. Musk has been designated as a special government employee of the White House Office, in violation of statutory authorization and restrictions on such designations. This false claim has also been used to commit violations of the ethics, disclosure, and conflict-of-interest laws applicable to government officers and regular employees.

Contrary to the Government’s claims in court, Mr. Musk has exercised de facto control over DOGE and, through it, control over a wide range of Government departments and agencies. This unmistakable reality has been repeatedly and openly stated by the Trump Administration, including by Donald John Trump’s own address to Congress on March 4, 2025. In this capacity, Mr. Musk and his subordinates have undertaken numerous violations of the Constitution and laws, including by—

These actions have vastly exceeded the terms of the formal executive orders purporting to create DOGE under the direction of a “U.S. DOGE Service Administrator”, an office which remained vacant for several weeks, with the Government’s own attorneys claiming in court that the official head of DOGE was unknown to them. Since that time, a nominal Administrator has been named, despite the repeated avowals from the President and his Administration that Mr. Musk controls and directs DOGE, as confirmed by ample public reporting and Mr. Musk’s own statements.

Donald John Trump has abused the powers of his high office and breached the public trust by establishing the so-called Department of Government Efficiency and unconstitutionally placing Mr. Musk in control of this entity, knowingly provided false testimony to the court regarding the leadership of the said entity, and directing the unlawful entity to implement his agenda, in violation of the Constitution’s objective of establishing Justice and fundamental rules for how the executive branch of the United States is to be structured and how persons may be appointed to public office.

Wherefore, Donald John Trump, by such conduct, has demonstrated that he is unfit to govern a Nation by and for the people, has acted in a manner grossly incompatible with self-governance and the rule of law, and will remain a threat to the Constitution if allowed to remain in office.

The Constitution provides that the House of Representatives “shall have the sole Power of Impeachment” and that the President “shall be removed from Office on Impeachment for, and Conviction of, Treason, Bribery, or other high Crimes and Misdemeanors”. Further, Section 9 of Article I of the Constitution states that “no Person holding any Office of Profit or Trust under them, shall, without the Consent of the Congress, accept of any present, Emolument, Office, or Title, of any kind whatever, from any … foreign State”. In his conduct of the office of President of the United States—and in violation of his constitutional oath to faithfully to execute the office of President of the United States and, to the best of his ability, preserve, protect, and defend the Constitution of the United States, and in violation of his constitutional duty to take care that the laws be faithfully executed—Donald John Trump has abused the powers of the Presidency in a manner offensive to, and subversive of, the Constitution, in that:

Donald John Trump has engaged in a pattern of unlawful corruption for the personal profit of himself and his associates, soliciting and accepting bribes in exchange for official actions, policy influence, and favorable treatment from the Administration. In so doing, he has, beyond a reasonable doubt, profiteered from public office on a scale unprecedented in American history.

Donald John Trump has engaged in fraudulent con artist schemes through “pump and dump” or “rug pull” tactics for cryptocurrency tokens he has created, and at the same time, enabled a direct conduit for bribes paid to him in exchange for official actions.

Donald John Trump has also leveraged the threat of hostile government action and the corresponding offer of preferential treatment in order to extract large payments in the form of settlements for meritless and vexatious litigation he pursues in his personal capacity, thereby corrupting both the executive branch and the judiciary. To advance this end, Donald John Trump solicited and received $940,000,000 in pro bono services from prominent law firms to help causes he personally supports.

Donald John Trump has refused to divest himself or take any steps to prevent conflicts of interest in his substantial personal business ventures, creating another conduit for the payment of bribes.

Donald John Trump has permitted and encouraged his subordinates to violate laws regarding ethics, disclosures, and self-dealing, and through these actions, he has enabled and encouraged corruption and graft by his relatives, associates, and political allies.

Donald John Trump has, in these ways and others, solicited payments from foreign governments for corrupt purposes and in flagrant violation of the Constitution’s prohibition on foreign emoluments.

Wherefore, Donald John Trump, by such conduct, has demonstrated that he is unfit to govern a Nation by and for the people, has acted in a manner grossly incompatible with self-governance and the rule of law, and will remain a threat to the Constitution if allowed to remain in office.

The Constitution provides that the House of Representatives “shall have the sole Power of Impeachment” and that the President “shall be removed from Office on Impeachment for, and Conviction of, Treason, Bribery, or other high Crimes and Misdemeanors”. Further, the system of checks and balances, as well as the separation of powers, as defined in the Constitution, work to ensure that the Office of the President does not become tyrannical. In his conduct of the office of President of the United States—and in violation of his constitutional oath to faithfully to execute the office of President of the United States and, to the best of his ability, preserve, protect, and defend the Constitution of the United States, and in violation of his constitutional duty to take care that the laws be faithfully executed—Donald John Trump has abused the powers of the Presidency in a manner offensive to, and subversive of, the Constitution, in that:

He has, by his actions and statements, sought to establish himself as tyrant, dictator, and autocrat over the People of the United States, usurping unto himself the constitutional powers of Congress, the courts, and the States, and powers illegitimate and beyond the scope of lawful government altogether.

He has claimed for himself absolute and arbitrary power, the ability to suspend laws at whim, and utterly disregarded and betrayed his oath to faithfully execute the office of President of the United States and to preserve, protect, and defend the Constitution of the United States.

He has denied and violated the right of the People of the United States to freedom of speech, and of assembly, and to petition the government for redress of grievances.

He has denied and violated the right of the People of the United States to due process of law and equal protection under the laws, to fair and impartial independent courts, and to legal counsel.

He has sought to intimidate and coerce, by means including the threat of unlawful prosecutions and by encouraging violence and threats of violence, the Representatives and Senators in Congress.

He has denied and violated the separation of powers and the Constitution’s system of checks and balances, arrogating unto himself the legislative and judicial powers, including the power of Congress to levy taxes, appropriate public funds, direct the organization of officers and agencies of the executive branch, and to make laws.

He has sought to intimidate, coerce, and extort the officers of the several States, including those elected by the People thereof, and thereby sought to commandeer the several States, in violation of their sovereignty and the system of federalism established by the Constitution of the United States.

He has sought to abrogate the citizenship clause of the 14th Amendment to the Constitution, by means including the issuance of an executive order that directs executive departments and agencies to withhold citizenship from certain classes of persons who are born within the United States.

He has repeatedly threatened and suggested that he intends to violate the Presidential term limits established by the 22d Amendment to the Constitution, and adopted overtly monarchical aspirations and affectations, including by invoking and endorsing theories that he is above the law or that his personal will constitutes the law.

In all of this, Donald John Trump has willfully disregarded Federal laws and the Constitution, imperiled a coequal branch of Government, and threatened the integrity of the democratic system. He thereby betrayed his trust as President, abused the powers of the Presidency, acted in a manner grossly incompatible with self-governance and the rule of law, and has committed High Crimes and Misdemeanors in attempting to establish himself as a lawless tyrant to the manifest injury of the people of the United States.

Wherefore, Donald John Trump, by such conduct, has demonstrated that he is unfit to govern a Nation by and for the people, has acted in a manner grossly incompatible with self-governance and the rule of law, and will remain a threat to the Constitution if allowed to remain in office.