Yes, Jamie Raskin Was Involved in Both Trump Impeachments — Here's What Each Role Looked Like
“Rep. Jamie Raskin was involved in two impeachments of Trump”
The argument in brief
The claim that Rep. Jamie Raskin was involved in both of Donald Trump's impeachments is true. He voted for the first impeachment in 2019 and served as the lead impeachment manager — the public face of the prosecution — during the second trial in 2021. House records and reporting from NPR and The New York Times confirm both roles.
Why it spread
Raskin's deeply personal and widely covered role as lead manager in the second impeachment made him one of the most recognizable faces of that moment in American politics. Once people knew his name, it was natural to look back at his record — and his first-impeachment vote was easy to find and report. The claim spread because it is accurate and the story behind it is genuinely striking.
The claim is true. Rep. Jamie Raskin, a Maryland Democrat first elected in 2016, participated in both of Donald Trump's historic impeachments — though his role grew significantly between the two.
During the first impeachment in December 2019, Raskin's involvement was straightforward: he was a sitting House member who voted in favor of the two articles of impeachment, according to U.S. House of Representatives records. That vote passed largely along party lines, and Trump was later acquitted by the Senate.
The second impeachment is where Raskin became a nationally known figure. After the January 6, 2021 Capitol attack, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi selected Raskin as lead impeachment manager, according to The New York Times. That meant he was the chief prosecutor presenting the case to the Senate — a highly visible, high-stakes role. Congress.gov records confirm the single article of impeachment, charging Trump with incitement of insurrection, passed the House on January 13, 2021, with Raskin central to drafting and arguing it. Trump was again acquitted by the Senate.
It's worth being precise about what 'involved' means here. In the first impeachment, Raskin was one of 230 House members who voted yes — a real but not distinctive role. In the second, he was the lead prosecutor, a position that set him apart from nearly every other lawmaker. Both count as genuine involvement, but they are not equivalent in scope.
This claim spread easily because it is simply accurate. Raskin's prominence during the second impeachment trial — including an emotional opening statement referencing the death of his son — made him a memorable public figure, and media coverage naturally connected him to both proceedings. When true facts travel fast, it's usually because they're attached to a compelling story.
Sources
- U.S. House of Representatives records
The House impeached Donald Trump on December 18, 2019 (first impeachment). Jamie Raskin, elected in 2016, was a sitting House member and voted for impeachment.
- NPR
Rep. Jamie Raskin served as the lead impeachment manager during Trump's second impeachment trial in January-February 2021, following the January 6 Capitol attack.
- The New York Times
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi named Jamie Raskin as lead impeachment manager for the second Trump impeachment trial, making him the public face of the prosecution case in the Senate.
- Congress.gov
The second impeachment article against Trump was passed by the House on January 13, 2021, with Raskin playing a central role in drafting and presenting the article of incitement of insurrection.
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