How Joe Biden could become the first U.S. President removed from office as historic IMPEACHMENT inquiry begins into ‘corrupt’ business dealings with son Hunter

House Speaker Kevin McCarthy has kicked off a monumental battle that could see Joe Biden become the first US president to be removed from office – but there’s still a long way to go for Republicans .

By launching a formal impeachment inquiry, McCarthy has increased the chances that Biden, his son Hunter and their associates will be dragged before Congress to answer questions about allegations of corrupt foreign business dealings.

The Bidens can now have their bank records, mortgage records, emails, text messages and cellphones subpoenaed, along with anything else Congress wants to see.

Such impeachment investigations into a president have been extremely rare in US history.

WhIs there an impeachment inquiry?

An impeachment investigation can be initiated by the President, or by a member of Congress who can obtain a majority vote in the House of Representatives.

In the Biden case, several committees – Oversight, Judiciary and Ways and Means – have already investigated allegations that he corruptly used the office of vice president to help his son Hunter make money from deals in China, among others and Russia.

Their discoveries include Biden repeatedly meeting with his son’s foreign business partners and taking him on Air Force Two trips.

It contributed to McCarthy’s decision to announce a formal investigation to obtain more evidence.

The committees will now be able to hold hearings and call witnesses, including Hunter, his business associates and even Joe Biden himself.

Ultimately, the findings of the various investigative committees will be considered by the House Judiciary Committee.

What are articles of impeachment?

The Judiciary Committee will prepare articles of impeachment, which are proposed charges based on the evidence.

The Republican-led Judiciary Committee will then vote on whether to adopt the articles.

If so, the articles will be sent to the House of Representatives, which will debate them and then vote on whether the president should face trial on the charges.

Only a simple majority of the House of Representatives – where Republicans outnumber Democrats 222 to 212 – is needed to pass.

If the articles were to pass the House, Biden would be officially impeached.

The subsequent trial of President Joe Biden would take place in the Senate, presided over by Chief Justice of the United States John Roberts.

The Constitution requires a two-thirds majority of the Senate to convict and remove the president from office.

Joe and Hunter Biden are being investigated by congressional committees

Kevin McCarthy took the historic step of announcing a formal impeachment inquiry

Has a president ever been successfully impeached?

To date, no president in the history of the United States has been convicted in the Senate.

Donald Trump was impeached twice and acquitted both times in Senate trials.

Bill Clinton was impeached and acquitted on charges of perjury and obstruction in connection with the Monica Lewinsky affair.

Richard Nixon resigned before he was impeached over the Watergate scandal.