Trump asks Congress to pass resolution to symbolically expunge his two impeachment convictions

President Donald Trump has asked lawmakers in Congress to consider a resolution that would symbolically erase the record of his two impeachment convictions from his first term, a move first reported by the Wall Street Journal and later confirmed by The Guardian. The request, according to the reporting, is aimed at having Republicans in Congress use their legislative authority to “nullify” the impeachment outcomes, despite the impeachments having been completed by the Senate during the 2019-2020 and 2020-2021 presidential terms.

The effort would be designed as a congressional action rather than a court case, and would focus on the legal and administrative status of the impeachment findings. The reporting notes that Trump is the first president in U.S. history to be impeached twice, and the resolution effort would be presented as a way to address the political consequences of those impeachment results while maintaining the constitutional impeachment process that already occurred.

Under the U.S. Constitution, impeachment is an act of the House, while conviction and removal is determined in the Senate. The Senate already conducted votes to convict Trump in both impeachment proceedings, meaning any new resolution would not undo the historical vote totals at the time they occurred. Instead, the proposed measure, as described by the reporting, would operate as a symbolic clearing of the record, potentially affecting how officials, agencies, and future lawmakers refer to the impeachments.

The reporting frames the request as an effort to eliminate what Trump and his allies describe as the “darkest chapters” of his political career. It is not clear from the available report whether the request contemplates limiting the resolution’s effect to symbolism, or whether lawmakers would seek a broader legal or administrative change in federal systems that track impeachment outcomes.

Congressional resolutions can vary in scope and binding effect. Even where resolutions do not carry the force of law, they can still influence federal recordkeeping and interpretive practice. In this case, lawmakers would face questions about constitutional limits and precedent, including whether Congress can change the legal meaning of Senate convictions after the impeachment process is complete.

The next steps would depend on whether House and Senate leadership direct the introduction of specific resolution language and whether any committee schedules hearings or floor consideration. The House and Senate would also need to decide how to treat the historical impeachment votes already recorded in Senate proceedings and official archives.