Republicans are preparing for a potential third attempt by Democrats to remove the US president from office following the upcoming midterm elections.
Advisers to former US President Donald Trump are reportedly preparing for the possibility of another impeachment effort if Democrats regain control of the House of Representatives in the 2026 midterm elections, according to an Axios report on Tuesday.
During his first term, Trump was impeached twice by House Democrats: first in December 2019 for abuse of power and obstruction of Congress, and again in January 2021 for inciting an insurrection after the January 6 Capitol riot.
Axios reports that Trump’s pollster, John McLaughlin, has warned that another impeachment attempt is almost certain if Republicans lose the House next year. He emphasized the critical need for Republicans to pass Trump’s tax cuts to prevent a recession, stating, “We cannot lose the midterms.”
Currently, Republicans control the House, making a near-term impeachment attempt unlikely to succeed. However, Democratic lawmakers are setting the stage for potential future action.
On Monday, Democratic Rep. Shri Thanedar of Michigan introduced seven articles of impeachment against Trump, including charges of obstruction of justice, abuse of power, usurpation of power, bribery, and corruption. Thanedar asserted that Trump is “unfit to serve as President” and represents a “clear and present danger” to the US Constitution and democracy.
Earlier this month, Rep. Al Green from Texas, another Democrat, also pledged to initiate impeachment proceedings against the former US president within 30 days, insisting that Trump “does not deserve” to hold office.
Axios reports that Republican strategists are responding to the potential for future impeachment by intensifying efforts to pass Trump’s legislative priorities. These include making the 2017 tax cuts permanent and introducing new tax relief measures before the next election cycle.
Under the US Constitution, a simple majority vote in the House of Representatives is required to impeach the president. If this occurs, the Senate then conducts a trial. A two-thirds vote in the Senate is necessary for conviction and removal from office – a threshold that was not met in either of Trump’s previous impeachments.
An advisor to Trump told Axios that the prior impeachments “did nothing,” while the White House has consistently dismissed the Democratic efforts as politically driven and ultimately ineffective.
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