Impeachment: How it works and why Trump should be worried

Pete Hegseth, Bill Clinton and Donald Trump (twice so far): attempts to impeach political figures are becoming common. The failure rate looks high, but according to experts, conviction is not always the aim. Pete Hegseth, US President Donald Trump's secretary of war, described the failed efforts to impeach him this week as "farce" and "sabotage".

The case, built on an accusation that Hegseth waged war on Iran without the proper congressional approval, always looked a long shot. But many observers believe it could be the first in a wave of impeachment attempts, possibly headlined by a third attempt to impeach Trump. While there are global variations in how impeachment works, in the US it is a process that allows the legislature (usually Congress, state or tribal legislature) to bring charges against an elected figure — a judge or a president, for example.

These are not criminal charges but can result in the removal of the accused party from their post.