On Jan. 13, 2021, former President Donald J. Trump became the first United States President to be impeached for a second time. The former president was impeached on articles of incitement and insurrection in lieu of the Capitol storming on Jan. 6. Trump could be found responsible for provoking a violent group of his supporters to disrupt the certification of President-Elect Joe Biden by invading the U.S. Capitol building, based on the articles of impeachment.

This historic impeachment trial comes at an interesting time, days before the end of his presidency. With the end of his term being so close, would the impeachment trial have any bearing on Trump’s presidency and his future in politics?

According to the New York Times, the second impeachment will have lasting impacts on the personal and political livelihood of the former president. While the charges will be made after Trump is out of office, the impeachment trial will ensure Trump cannot impede the future success and safety of the country.

With the trial, the former president could lose out on many things as a former leader of the country. The Senate could disqualify Trump from holding office ever again, thus ending his political career. He would also lose a lifetime pension, an annual travel budget and funding for an office and staff. All of these benefits are protected under the Former President Act of 1958 unless the president has been removed through the impeachment process. The only benefit he would be awarded is Secret Service protection because of the magnitude of his social status. Trump will lose any long-term benefits from being the President of the U.S.

Aside from losing out on the benefits of being a former president, Trump could face criminal charges for his actions, according to the LA Times. Trump’s encouragement of the Capitol storming could be defined as “seditious conspiracy.” Seditious conspiracy makes it a crime for “two or more persons… in any place subject to jurisdiction of the United States to conspire to overthrow, put down or destroy by force the government of the United States.” With the former president no longer in office, a criminal proceeding is more possible for it wouldn’t interfere with his duties as president.

These are some of the consequences Trump could be facing for his actions against our country. He is the first president to ever be impeached twice and now could become the first president to face criminal charges. The U.S. is in an unprecedented time and only time will tell what the fate of the former President will be.