Expunging the January 13, 2021, impeachment of President Donald John Trump.
This is a House resolution (H. Res. 25, introduced January 9, 2025) that seeks to expunge the January 13, 2021 impeachment of President Donald J. Trump from the official record “as if such article had never passed the full House of Representatives.” The bill argues that the impeachment proceedings were flawed and politically driven, and it raises broad, historically charged assertions about the 2020 election and the impeachment process itself. The measure treats expungement as a formal, symbolic action by the House to retroactively erase the impeachment from the record, including the charges of high crimes and misdemeanors and insurrection. It also ties the action to arguments about the President’s eligibility under constitutional provisions (notably the 14th Amendment) but emphasizes that the resolution is a non-binding, House-only action that would not, by itself, reinstate the President, alter Senate proceedings, or change current law. In short, the resolution is a symbolic House-only effort to nullify or erase the impeachment on historical and political grounds, while presenting a critique of the impeachment process used in 2021. It does not establish new legal authority or automatically restore office or remove disqualifications; any practical impact would be largely political and historical rather than legal.
Key Points
- 1Expunction aim and scope
- 2- The resolution seeks to expunge the January 13, 2021 impeachment from the official record as if the impeachment article had never passed the House (H. Res. 24). It frames this as restoring the “facts and circumstances” to a state prior to the impeachment.
- 3Constitutional and procedural rationale
- 4- It asserts the impeachment was conducted outside proper constitutional and due process norms, noting perceived irregularities in how the process was carried out (e.g., lack of hearings, witnesses, and a formal Committee Report). It argues these deficiencies undermine the legitimacy of the impeachment.
- 5Critique of charges and context
- 6- The bill disputes the sufficiency of evidence for “high crimes and misdemeanors” and for “insurrection or rebellion” under the Constitution, and it critiques representations of the January 6 events and the surrounding political context. It contends the Article I charges were presented without adequate context or full consideration of other relevant factors (notably the 2020 election and related disputes).
- 7Connection to 14th Amendment disqualification claims
- 8- The resolution links expungement to the idea that, if the impeachment is erased, the basis for disqualification from office under the 14th Amendment would be affected. It presents this as part of the justification for expunging the impeachment, though the resolution itself would not, by operation of law, automatically remove any disqualification.
- 9Legal effect and status
- 10- The measure is a non-binding House resolution. It would not, by itself, repeal a Senate conviction or alter existing law. It would not automatically reinstate the President or remove any lasting legal consequences; it is primarily a political and historical repudiation or redress by the House, not a statute or a binding legal remedy.