The concept that no person is above the law is a foundational principle of democracy. In the United States, the possible impeachment of a chief executive represents a valuable check on abuse of power. This check has been used sparingly in the nation’s history and a U.S. president has never been successfully removed through the impeachment process. While the accountability of public officials remains essential attempts to remove top officials can also have unanticipated consequences in terms of trust in institutions, political polarization, and electoral backlash. The evidence presented in this chapter indicates that impeachment attempts in the recent past did not enhance faith in democratic institutions and did not redound to the benefit of the impeaching party. On the contrary, U.S. impeachments seemed to have reinforced distrust of the executive, legislative, and judicial branches of government. It also appears that unsuccessful attempts to remove sitting presidents in the U.S. increased political polarization while undermining the legitimacy of public officials. It is reasonable to assume that perceived overreach of Congressional prerogatives (such as impeachment) can generate calls for retribution that put constitutional norms in danger. If impeachments become mere exercises for carnival like show trials, then the public will either tune out or further become isolate in their respective ideological camps.