A group of House Democrats is urging their colleagues to prepare for the impeachment of President Donald Trump on the first day of the next Congress if Democrats regain control of the House, according to a report from Axios. The effort is largely driven by progressive lawmakers who argue that a coordinated strategy must be in place well before January.
Progressive Democrats Lead the Charge
Representative Delia Ramirez (D-Ill.) emphasized the need for Democratic leadership to develop a concrete and coordinated plan. "We need to build up the case so that when we are in power in January, we've created the conditions ... we've done the fact-checking, we've done the shadow hearings, everything we need to be able to impeach [Trump]," she said. Ramirez pointed out that Republicans began planning the impeachment of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas in 2022, well before they took control of the House. "Not that I'm saying I want to copy Republicans, but ... starting this work in January is too late," she added.
Representative Yassamin Ansari (D-Ariz.) stated that "the push for impeachment is going to be overwhelming." Ansari has already called for the impeachment of Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth. Other Democrats facing contested primaries have also voiced support for impeachment.
Primary Pressures Fuel Impeachment Calls
Representative Al Green (D-Texas), who faces a member-on-member primary due to redistricting, has been a vocal advocate. When Green forced a vote on impeaching Trump in June, only 78 Democrats supported it. However, by December, that number had grown to 140. Similarly, Representative Robin Kelly (D-Ill.), who ran for Senate, filed impeachment articles against former Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem before losing the primary. Representative Shri Thanedar (D-Mich.), facing a primary challenge, said, "We have a case — a very strong case — so we should really work on it now."
Moderates Urge Caution
Not all Democrats are on board. Representative Brad Schneider (D-Ill.), chair of the New Democrat Coalition, told Axios that while Trump has "done something in this Congress that justifies the conversation," impeachment would be futile without a two-thirds majority in the Senate. Trump was impeached twice during his first term but was not removed. Another House Democrat who has called for impeachment publicly admitted, "There are things that we can win, and impeachment is not one of them — now or, unfortunately, at any point during this presidency."
Republicans Seize on Impeachment Threats
Republicans are already using the impeachment push to rally their base. House Speaker Mike Johnson warned at a Turning Point USA event in December, "If we lose the House majority, the radical left, as you've already heard, is going to impeach President Trump, and they will create complete chaos. We cannot allow that to happen."
