Shortly following new revelations from the New York Times that President Donald Trump's campaign team was in "repeated" contact with Russian officials ahead of the 2016 election, #TrumpImpeachmentParty began trending on Twitter in a call to take Trump out of office. The process of impeaching a president is a lot easier said than done, but Rep. Al Green formally called for Trump's impeachment in May, and is set to begin work on the proper documents this week.

What does it mean for a president to be impeached, what does the process look like, and is it even possible for Donald Trump to be impeached less than a month into his presidency? Here's what you need to know.

What does it mean to be impeached?

One of the most common misconceptions is that "impeached" is synonymous with "taken out of office," but that's not the case. Instead, impeachment means bringing formal charges (an "indictment" in legalese) against a public official. The legislative branch (i.e. the House of Representatives and the Senate) can bring charges against a high-level government official, try that person, and decide whether or not to convict and remove that person from office.

What does the process of impeachment look like?

Articles I and II of the U.S. Constitution lay out the process of impeachment. In practice, the House of Representatives has the sole duty of bringing formal charges against a "civil officer," which has been interpreted to mean presidents, vice presidents, federal judges. The question of who, specifically, is considered a "civil officer" for purposes of impeachment is unresolved. The articles of impeachment can be introduced by an individual member of the chamber or by a committee, petition, special prosecutor, or president; from there, an inquiry can be opened, usually by the House Judiciary Committee, to see if there are grounds for impeachment. Typically there is a great deal of investigation and debate within the committee, and a majority of the committee must vote to move the resolution to a full House vote. If the motion to impeach is put to a vote, the House must achieve a simple majority of all representatives present for an official to be charged and the proceedings to move to the Senate. Only the House itself may formally vote to impeach the president; the public doesn't have a direct say or vote.

The Senate has the sole duty of trying the accused, and if the Senate finds the person guilty of the charges brought against him or her, that person is removed from that position. To decide on whether or not to convict or acquit someone, the Senate may call the accused to speak on his or her behalf, and counsel and House "managers" (who are selected to present the matter to the Senate) are also called to speak for or against the person up for impeachment. Once inquiries are completed, the Senate holds a closed session to debate the case, and a two-thirds vote of all senators present is required to convict.

Additionally, the Constitution explains that impeachments are the only proceedings where the accused doesn't stand before a jury, meaning that the judicial branch isn't involved.

What does it take to be impeached?

Article II Section 4 of the U.S. Constitution is vague in terms of what are grounds for impeachment: "The President, Vice President and all civil Officers of the United States, shall be removed from Office on Impeachment for, and Conviction of, Treason, Bribery, or other high Crimes and Misdemeanors."