Bill Clinton’s impeachment may seem like ages ago, but the proceedings began in late 1998, which is recent enough that many members of Congress who considered the charges against the then-president are still on Capitol Hill.
Or put another way, in the wake of Donald Trump’s latest impeachment trial, we can compare those who sat in judgment of both Clinton and Trump, and who came to different conclusions.
Broadly speaking, there are a handful categories of Republicans who considered the allegations in the late 1990s and in 2021:
Republican senators who voted to convict Clinton, but acquit Trump: Idaho’s Mike Crapo, Iowa’s Chuck Grassley, Oklahoma’s James Inhofe, and Kentucky’s Mitch McConnell
Republican senators who split their votes on Clinton, but who voted to acquit Trump: Alabama’s Richard Shelby
Republican senators who voted to acquit Clinton but convict Trump: Maine’s Susan Collins
Republican senators who supported Clinton’s impeachment while in the House, and who voted to acquit Trump: Missouri’s Roy Blunt, South Carolina’s Lindsey Graham, Kansas’ Jerry Moran, Ohio’s Rob Portman, South Dakota’s John Thune, Mississippi’s Roger Wicker
Republican senators who supported Clinton’s impeachment while in the House, and who voted to convict Trump: North Carolina’s Richard Burr
As we discussed after Trump’s first impeachment trial, it’s that first group that’s of the most interest. Grassley, for example, said during Clinton’s trial that the Democrat’s actions were “having a profound impact on our society.” He voted to convict soon after.









