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Comment by elzbardico | Hacker News Reader

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As someone from outside the US, I was surprised to find out impeachment does not mean removal from office, you need a senate supermajority and (to my even greater surprise) only 33% of senate is up for re-election at each election cycle.

So knowing this, I understand he might get impeached, but unlikely to be removed so I don't see a whole lot changing after midterms, sadly.

Yeah he's probably unlikely to be removed from office, also in part because JD Vance would be worse (more competent, more actively malicious).

But that said, Dem control of the House and Senate can absolutely functionally hobble POTUS. He can (and should) be inundated with nonstop investigations, funding freezes, and so on.

Quite a lot will change after the midterms.

Yeah, it's a frustrating term. I remember as a kid wondering why there was so much drama about Clinton's impeachment when nothing appeared to have happened. It basically means "half the house agrees he should be removed from office". But then the next step is "two thirds of the senate also agrees", which has never happened among the four total cases of impeachment.

I guess it kind of makes sense - the percentage for conviction should probably be higher than the percentage for sending to trial. But it sure makes for a lot of fruitless drama.

buffon?

A misspelled "buffoon."

I believe that is an example of irony.

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