Key Points and Summary – Despite a second term marked by actions critics deem impeachable, there is surprisingly little serious talk of impeaching President Donald Trump.
-Having failed to remove him twice before, Democratic leadership is now wary, with some arguing that impeachment has become a powerful “recruitment tool for Trump.”
-Seizing on this dynamic, Republicans have flipped the script and are now using the threat of a future Democratic-led impeachment as a key campaign strategy to energize their voters for the 2026 midterms, turning the constitutional process into a partisan political weapon for both sides.
Democrats Fear a New Impeachment War with Trump
Democrats impeached Donald Trump twice during his first presidency, although neither attempt succeeded in removing and disqualifying him from office. The two impeachments, along with the four separate criminal indictments, did nothing to stop Trump from returning to office.
Since Trump came back into office, he’s done a lot of things that one might call impeachable. But there’s surprisingly little talk about impeachment.
There are a few reasons for that- Democrats are not in control of either House of Congress and don’t have the votes to get an impeachment to the floor, much less get it passed.
Early Attempts
There have been a couple of efforts. Rep. Al Green (D-TX) introduced an impeachment resolution in early June, after talking about it for several months. Per The Hill, Green called for the impeachment for “abuse of presidential powers by disregarding the separation of powers—devolving American democracy into authoritarianism by unconstitutionally usurping Congress’s power to declare war.”
“President Trump’s unilateral, unprovoked use of force without congressional authorization or notice constitutes an abuse of power when there was no imminent threat to the United States, which facilitates the devolution of American democracy into authoritarianism,” Green’s resolution said.
Another Democratic Congressman, Rep. Shri Thanedar (D-MI), introduced articles of impeachment in April,
“Donald Trump has repeatedly demonstrated that he is unfit to serve as President and represents a clear and present danger to our nation’s constitution and our democracy,” said Rep. Thanedar.
“His unlawful actions have subverted the justice system, violated the separation of powers, and placed personal power and self-interest above public service. We cannot wait for more damage to be done. Congress must act.”
The following month, Thanedar even attempted to force a vote on the impeachment, but backed down after the House Democratic leadership pushed back.
Democrats Wary
In recent months, a different dynamic has emerged: Democrats haven’t talked that much about wanting to impeach Trump, no matter how many impeachable things he does. But Republicans have threatened that if the Democrats recapture either house of Congress in 2026, they will pursue impeachment. Some Democrats, including Sen. Jon Ossoff (D-GA), indicated in the spring that they would be interested in impeachment should their party recapture Congress.
Politico looked at that dynamic this week.
“Democrats would vote to impeach (Trump) on their first day,” House Speaker Mike Johnson told the Shreveport Times this week. The National Republican Congressional Committee has even launched a digital ad arguing that Democrats plan to impeach Trump again in 2027.
It’s seen as a way to bring Republicans out to the polls in the midterms, after several occasions when they have underperformed in the Trump era when Trump is not on the ballot.
Democrats, however, have been more reluctant.
“We should never, at least in the near future, use the ‘I’ word,” Rep. Emanuel Cleaver (D-Mo.) told Politico. “One of the things we learned is that articles of impeachment are also articles of recruitment for Trump.”
While Rep. Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY), the House minority leader, did not speak to Politico,“a person close to House leadership” did talk to the outlet.
“There will be some emotional members who want to grab headlines with impeachment, however [House Democratic] leadership has thus far shown that it’s not a tool in our box,” when it comes to opposing Trump.
“Of course impeachment is a tool of the Congress that should always be available and appropriate,” Rep. Greg Casar (D-TX), chairman of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, told Politico. “But right now, I think we’re in a stage where we’re trying to try this case out in the court of public opinion before we do anything else.”
They Don’t Have the Votes
But of course, even if the Democrats recapture Congress, they’re likely to end up in the same place they were in Trump’s first term: They’re almost certainly not going to have enough votes in the Senate to remove Trump from office.
About the Author: Stephen Silver
Stephen Silver is an award-winning journalist, essayist, and film critic, and contributor to the Philadelphia Inquirer, the Jewish Telegraphic Agency, Broad Street Review, and Splice Today. The co-founder of the Philadelphia Film Critics Circle, Stephen lives in suburban Philadelphia with his wife and two sons. For over a decade, Stephen has authored thousands of articles that focus on politics, national security, technology, and the economy. Follow him on X (formerly Twitter) at @StephenSilver, and subscribe to his Substack newsletter.
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