President Donald Trump and congressional allies are pursuing a long-discussed effort to formally expunge his two first-term impeachments, reigniting a political and constitutional debate that has lingered since he left office.
The push gained new momentum this week after The Wall Street Journal reported that Trump, senior White House officials, House Speaker Mike Johnson, and congressional Republicans have been discussing ways to formally declare the impeachments invalid.
At the center of the effort is H.Res. 1211, introduced by Rep. Darrell Issa (R-Calif.). The resolution would expunge both of Trump’s impeachments from the House record. More than 20 House Republicans have signed on as co-sponsors, making it the most serious expungement effort yet undertaken by congressional Republicans.
Trump was impeached twice during his first term. The House voted in 2019 to impeach him on charges related to his dealings with Ukraine and again in 2021 on a charge of incitement of insurrection following the Jan. 6 Capitol riot. The Senate acquitted him both times.
Now, Trump and his allies argue those impeachments should be formally repudiated by Congress.
White House Confirms Discussions
Reuters reported that the White House confirmed discussions surrounding the effort.
White House spokeswoman Abigail Jackson described the impeachment proceedings as politically motivated and said Americans increasingly recognize them as partisan attacks rather than legitimate constitutional actions.
Trump echoed that argument in comments to The Wall Street Journal.
“It should be done because I did nothing wrong,” Trump said, describing both impeachment proceedings as fundamentally unfair.
The Journal reported that House Speaker Mike Johnson has personally discussed the effort with Trump, as well as longtime Trump allies, including constitutional attorney Alan Dershowitz and attorney Jay Sekulow.
Johnson has been one of the most vocal critics of the impeachment proceedings, previously describing them as “sham impeachments” and “hyperpartisan attack jobs.” While expressing support for expungement, Johnson has also acknowledged that the measure is not an immediate legislative priority, as Congress faces ongoing battles over spending, border security, and foreign policy.
What Expungement Would — and Would Not — Do
Despite the attention surrounding the proposal, constitutional scholars broadly agree that Congress lacks any constitutional mechanism to undo an impeachment once the House has voted.
The Constitution grants the House the sole power of impeachment, and those votes become part of the permanent historical record. No provision exists that would allow a future Congress to reverse or erase them.
As a result, even if H.Res. 1211 were approved by both chambers, Trump’s impeachment would remain a historical fact.
The resolution would instead serve as a symbolic political statement expressing Congress’ disapproval of the impeachment proceedings and formally declaring that lawmakers believe the actions were improperly conducted.
Supporters view that distinction as important.
Republicans backing the measure argue the first impeachment was driven by partisan disagreements over Trump’s Ukraine policy and that the second impeachment was rushed through the House in the aftermath of Jan. 6 without providing sufficient due process.
Critics counter that Congress cannot simply vote away events that occurred and argue the effort amounts to an attempt to rewrite history rather than address constitutional concerns.
A Long-Sought Goal for Trump Allies
The expungement effort has circulated among Trump supporters for years.
In 2023, Republicans, including Reps. Elise Stefanik and Marjorie Taylor Greene introduced resolutions seeking to expunge the impeachments, though those measures never received floor votes.
The new push appears to have broader institutional backing.
With Trump now back in the White House and Johnson leading a Republican-controlled House, supporters believe they have their best opportunity yet to pass a formal expungement resolution.
Whether the measure ultimately reaches the House floor remains uncertain. Johnson has indicated that other legislative priorities take precedence, and even if the resolution passes the House, its practical effect would be largely symbolic.
Still, the effort highlights how deeply the impeachment battles continue to shape Trump’s political legacy.
For Trump supporters, expungement would serve as an official congressional rebuke of what they see as politically motivated prosecutions of a president. For critics, it would be a symbolic attempt to erase two of the most consequential constitutional confrontations in modern American history.
Either way, six years after Trump’s first impeachment, the fight over its meaning is still unfolding.
READ NEXT: Why Are Conservatives Demanding Trump Defund This UN Agency?
