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What would it take to impeach an American president?

As House Speaker Nancy Pelosi announced formal impeachment proceedings against Pres. Donald Trump, we explain how a president is impeached in the first place.

PORTLAND, Ore. — House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D) announced formal impeachment proceedings against President Donald Trump Tuesday afternoon.

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Before we get ahead of ourselves, lets dive into what it takes to impeach an American president?

Impeachment is laid out in Article 2 of the U.S. Constitution:

"The President of the United States shall be removed from office on impeachment for, and conviction of, high crimes and misdemeanors."

The U.S. Congress, led by Democrats, would need a simple majority to bring the "articles of impeachment" against the president. 

They would oversee the investigation into any alleged crimes done by the president, but the Republican-led Senate would hold a trial and make a final decision on guilt.

The Senate would need a two-thirds majority to convict and remove a president.

If the president is removed, he could be barred from holding public office in the future.

RELATED: President Trump says he will release 'complete, unredacted' transcript of Ukraine call

If Pres. Trump is removed from office or resigns, Vice President Mike Pence would take his place until his term ends in 2021. 

Only two U.S. presidents (Andrew Johnson and Bill Clinton) have been impeached, but they were not convicted or removed from office. Richard Nixon faced impeachment while he was president, but resigned before the process completed. 

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