How Much Government Money Has Been Spent On Getting Trump Out Of Office By The Democrats

The claim: Impeachment price $33 1000000

On February. xiii, President Donald Trump became the commencement president in U.South. history to exist impeached and acquitted past the Senate twice. Congress'due south unprecedented motion to hear Trump'southward impeachment trial afterward he'd left office drew precipitous criticism from Republicans who called the action political and unconstitutional.

In the days surrounding the proceedings, many social media users criticized these impeachments as irresponsible government spending and pushed an unsupported and exaggerated cost tag to brand their point.

"How tin an impeachment cost $33 million when all involved are already salaried servants?" reads one Facebook postal service.

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"Boy, that 33 One thousand thousand that was spent on the impeachment certain would help a bunch of small businesses correct now…" claims another widely shared image.

The post does not specify if it is referring to Trump's get-go or 2d impeachment. Regardless, estimates for the price of both impeachment proceedings put the price significantly lower than $33 1000000.

Posts making this claim have circulated on social media for weeks. USA TODAY found a Facebook user posted the claim on Jan. 30, more than than a week before the 2nd Senate trial began.

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U.s.a. TODAY reached out to several social media users who posted this unsupported claim for comment.

"Our politicians weren't acting in the best interests of 'We the People' when they demanded an Impeachment, not one time, but twice," replied Tony Hawes Jr. "We should be able to send them the neb. Garnish their wages. Remove it from their bank accounts."

Trump was impeached twice

Democrats introduced articles of impeachment on Jan. 11, on the charges that Trump incited an coup when he sent an angry mob to the Capitol building on Jan. half dozen. The House voted to impeach him on Jan. 13.

The Senate began Trump's impeachment trial on February. 9. Five days later on, on Feb. thirteen, Senators voted 57-43 non guilty.

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In 2019, the House voted to impeach Trump on Dec. xviii on charges of "high crimes and misdemeanors" for requesting that Ukraine investigate his political opponents. On Jan. 21, 2020, the Senate began hearing the charges and acquitted Trump on February. 5.

Unofficial estimates for the price of 2019 House impeachment are much lower

The Congressional Budget Role does non take an official approximate for the cost of either impeachment proceeding.

Afterwards Trump's first impeachment, online misinformation exaggerating its toll led several reporters and remember tanks to estimate the cost in the House. Here's what they found:

Yahoo! Finance reviewed similar fake claims that Trump's impeachment cost $40 meg in Jan 2020. It reported that the proceeding price taxpayers nothing considering congressional salaries are paid regardless of what is on the calendar. Yahoo! Finance estimated that Congress members and their staff were paid nearly $11.5 million from their predetermined salaries for the 33 days they spent impeaching Trump. This full made up merely 0.00026% of the federal budget.

Conservative think tank The Heritage Foundation put the toll much lower at $3.06 million for the salaries of House members, House staffers and six lawyers.

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Roll Call placed the cost of the House Impeachment enquiry at $one.83 million. Coil Call stressed that this price was minimal compared to other congressional investigations, such equally President Nib Clinton's impeachment trial that cost nearly $80 one thousand thousand.

Expert says impeachment proceedings cost less than $33 meg

Although there are no estimates for the price of Trump'south 2d impeachment or either Senate trial, experts told PolitiFact they cost far less than $33 one thousand thousand.

"It's hard to pinpoint exactly how much the impeachment price," Steve Ellis, president of the nonprofit Taxpayers for Common Sense, told PolitiFact. "But I sincerely doubt it was anywhere shut to $33 one thousand thousand."

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Trump's beginning impeachment investigation was headed by the Business firm Judiciary Committee, so information technology didn't toll taxpayers boosted money because all funds came from the existing congressional upkeep. The 2d impeachment proceeding was much shorter than the first and did not include an investigation, indicating it was likely much cheaper than the commencement.

Usa TODAY could find no reputable estimates that put the cost anywhere near $33 one thousand thousand.

Cost of Mueller written report

Special Counsel Robert Mueller's investigation on Russian interference in the 2016 election totaled $32 one thousand thousand. This included salaries and expenses for prosecutors, analysts and agents.

Mueller completed his report on March 22, 2019, without reaching a final conclusion on whether Trump had committed a crime and illegally worked with Russian federation to sway the 2016 election. The study and its expenses were unrelated to either impeachment proceeding.

It is possible this figure has been conflated with the cost of impeachments.

Our rating: False

At that place are no official estimates for the cost of either of Trump'due south impeachments, yet, unofficial estimates of the cost of the first impeachment's House proceedings and experts bespeak it likely cost much less than $33 million. Congressional salaries are paid regardless of what is on the calendar. We rate the claim that Trump's impeachment price $33 1000000 FALSE because there is no evidence to support that estimate.

Our fact check sources:

• The states TODAY, February. 13, "Senate acquits Trump in historic second impeachment trial over Capitol riot"
• U.s. TODAY, February. nine, "Impeachment: Republicans say ex-President Trump tin can't be tried but many experts disagree"
• USA TODAY, Feb. nine, "Top takeaways from Twenty-four hours 1 of one-time President Donald Trump'southward impeachment trial"
• USA TODAY, January. 11, "Democrats officially innovate impeachment article; Republicans cake 25th Amendment resolution"
• USA TODAY, Jan. 13, "5 takeaways as the Business firm impeaches Trump for second time"
• USA TODAY, December. 18, 2019, "House impeaches Donald Trump in historic vote, reshuffling U.S. politics on eve of 2020"
• USA TODAY, Feb. 5, "President Trump acquitted on both impeachment charges, avoids removal"
• Yahoo! Finance, Jan. 3, 2020, "This Is How Much of Your Taxes Were Spent On Impeachment Last Twelvemonth"
• Fox Business concern, Feb. 13, "How much will Trump impeachment trial toll?"
• Roll Call, Jan. 31, 2020, "Cost: How much is impeachment?"
• PolitFact, Feb. 19, "Trump's 2nd impeachment did not price $33 million"
• Yahoo! Finance, Dec. 20, 2019, "Trump's impeachment has been cheaper than Clinton's"
• United states of america TODAY, Aug. 2, 2019, "The last pecker for former special counsel Robert Mueller'southward Russia inquiry: $31. 7 million"
• USA TODAY, Mar. 22, 2019, "Special counsel Robert Mueller delivers written report marking finish of investigation into Trump'south entrada, Russia"
  

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Source: https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/factcheck/2021/03/05/fact-check-total-trump-impeachment-cost-unknown/4496974001/

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