30.7k views
5 votes
Was Bill Clinton ever in real danger of being found guilty by the Senate and removed from office?

A. Yes
B. No

1 Answer

0 votes

Final answer:

Bill Clinton was not in real danger of being removed from office because the Senate did not have the two-thirds majority vote needed to convict and he was ultimately acquitted of all charges.

Step-by-step explanation:

The question of whether Bill Clinton was ever in real danger of being found guilty by the Senate and removed from office is an interesting one. The answer is No. During President Clinton's impeachment trial in 1999, the Senate voted forty-five to fifty-five on the perjury charge and fifty-fifty on obstruction of justice. This was far from the two-thirds majority needed to convict and remove a president from office. Moreover, the voting in the Senate fell largely along party lines, with too few Senators willing to vote for removal. This contrasted with previous cases, such as the expected removal of President Nixon, had he not resigned first, due to strong bipartisan consensus against him. Nevertheless, Clinton was acquitted of all charges and completed his second term with a high approval rating. Bill Clinton, the 42nd President of the United States, faced impeachment proceedings in the House of Representatives in 1998. He was impeached on charges of perjury and obstruction of justice related to his extramarital affair with Monica Lewinsky, a White House intern. However, the Senate did not find him guilty, and he was not removed from office. The Senate trial took place in early 1999, and Clinton was acquitted on both charges. The votes fell short of the two-thirds majority required to convict and remove a president from office. As a result, Clinton served out the remainder of his second term, which ended in January 2001.

User Wilma
by
8.3k points