After the end of President Donald Trump’s term in January, many were left wondering what would result from his second impeachment during his last week in office.
He broke the record for most impeachments by one president in U.S. history and his Senate trial was the first to occur after leaving office. While seven Republicans voted to convict, those votes did not reach the required two-thirds majority in the Senate, leading to no further prosecution of the former president.
So, what does this mean? What will happen to Trump, and how does this impact others?
Under the Former Presidents’ Act, Trump will get a yearly pension of around $200,000. While in office, he opted to donate his salary to various causes such as coronavirus research, health and human services, veterans’ affairs, and alcohol abuse, but it is unclear whether he will keep the pension or donate it as well.
The government also funds an office for former presidents. An annual budget of $150,000 in the first 30 months is handed out for employee salaries but it goes down to $96,000 per year afterwards.
Lastly, lifelong security from the Secret Service Protection is provided for Trump. While in office, presidents are constantly surrounded by security personnel, which is very costly. Trump not only has this service for himself, but he has also decided to extend the protection to his children for a few months after leaving office.
“It is generous of Trump to donate his presidential salary,” Jolina Zhao (‘23) said. “But with all the tax cuts and fraud, he sets a bad example for American people.”
Trump also has the right to run for office again in 2024. Based on the experiences of past presidents, there is very little chance of him actually winning, Grover Cleveland being the only one to be successfully elected to nonconsecutive terms in 1888.
Despite these challenging odds, Trump might still win. He is very popular within the Republican party and has continued to make speeches and attend promotional events after leaving office.
“And I want you to know that I’m going to continue to fight right by your side,” Trump said during his speech at the Conservative Political Action Conference in Orlando, Florida. “We will do what we’ve done right from the beginning, which is to win.”
“[Trump] knows what’s best for him: to not run again. I feel that if he runs again a lot of people will be outraged and in 2024, I can vote so I really doubt he’ll even win,” Karma Griggs (‘23) said. “He does not accurately address current issues such as the Black Lives Matter movement and other forms of social activism.”
As of now, Trump resides in his property at the Mar-a-Lago resort club in Palm Beach, Florida after being sued by various neighbors. He continues to manage his various pieces of real estate, companies, and golf courses as well as resolve legal problems regarding his tax returns. At this point, Trump has no intention to build libraries, write memoirs, or participate in interviews or speeches like many previous former presidents have.
![Natalie Au (‘26) portraying Pablo Picasso gives her presentation about Picasso’s life and achievements while Anna Park (‘26) records her as part of the project. Other students performing at the central tables in the library speak as their Spanish-speaking figures as well. “I had the most creative freedom during this project out of all my years [of Spanish] and [got] to bring in my passions from outside of Spanish class,” Natalie said. The project was an intriguing scene for anyone who saw students in their costumes; what happens behind the scenes?](https://webbcanyonchronicle.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/Duan-spanish-presentations-1200x900.jpg)
