Who has the authority to impeach the President?

The authority to impeach the President is vested in the House of Representatives. This process is outlined in the U.S. Constitution, specifically in Article I, which grants the House the exclusive power to initiate impeachment proceedings. Impeachment is essentially a formal charge of wrongdoing, and it serves as a mechanism for Congress to hold the President accountable for misconduct that may include high crimes and misdemeanors.

Once the House decides to impeach the President, the articles of impeachment are drafted and voted on. If a majority of the House members vote in favor of impeachment, the President is officially impeached, which leads to a trial in the Senate. It is the Senate that ultimately decides whether to convict and remove the President from office, but the initiation of the impeachment process itself is solely the responsibility of the House.

This distinction is important as it emphasizes the separation of powers within the government and the checks and balances designed to prevent any one branch from becoming too powerful.