Can Donald Trump be impeached again — do we hold on to hope or is the reality too harsh?

Since officially starting his second term in the Oval Office, calls for President Donald Trump‘s removal have gotten louder amid a growing list of violations he allegedly committed — from campaign financial scandals to constitutional breaches. But considering that even his recent conviction did not bar him from returning to the White House, is impeachment for a third time too far-fetched at this point?

The short answer to the question is no. It’s not at all impossible for Trump to get impeached again. In fact, there is no limit to how many times government officials, including the president, can be impeached, according to the Constitution. However, there is one big factor that comes into play here, and it’s whether Congress has the political will to act on it. Impeachment is the most powerful check Congress has on a sitting president, so it is up to it to decide if a filed impeachment complaint has merits.

Trump currently has the record of being the only U.S. president to be impeached twice. He was first impeached in 2019 over his shady dealings with Ukraine that involved election interferences and was impeached again in 2021 for inciting the attack on the U.S. Capitol. Both times, he was acquitted by the Senate, allowing him to remain in office and even shamelessly run again. And now it seems another cycle of this circus act has once again befallen us as efforts are reignited to pin him down and hold him accountable for actions that make him unfit to serve.

One of the efforts to oust Trump (for good) is from the non-partisan organization Free Speech For People. The “Impeach Trump. Again” campaign hinges on multiple allegations, including violations of the 14th Amendment, which bars anyone who has engaged in insurrection from holding office. Even though Trump has pleaded not guilty to all charges related to January 6 and the Supreme Court ruled to prevent any prosecution for his acts, a report by former special counsel Jack Smith concluded there was enough evidence to prosecute him had he not been reelected. This seemingly suggests that his return to power is not a vindication but a legal technicality.

He is also being accused of violating the Constitution’s emoluments clauses by profiting from foreign governments while in office. Free Speech For People has alleged that multiple foreign entities continue to funnel millions into Trump’s businesses in clear violation of federal law. While Trump’s company claims that daily operations have been handed over to his children, such arrangements — which, by the way, were made during his first term — do little to alleviate concerns over conflicts of interest.

Many other allegations against Trump also warrant impeachment. Don’t even get us started on the multi-million funding from his campaign crony Elon Musk for the 2024 election. There is also the hard-to-forget fact that despite being a returning top official, Trump has continued to spew inflammatory statements against his political opponents, military officials, journalists, and immigrants. But despite the gravity of all these allegations, it still feels like an impeachment is unlikely.

History has shown us that impeachment, while constitutionally straightforward, is a political minefield. Conviction requires a two-thirds Senate majority, and with Republicans now controlling both chambers of Congress, the odds of removing the convicted felon from office are slim. Additionally, no president has ever been successfully removed through impeachment thus far. Hence, we believe the question now is not just whether Trump can be impeached again, but whether the nation is willing to stand up for the principles it claims to uphold. Sadly, for now, we can only hope.