Democrats’ impeachment efforts against Donald Trump now span two presidencies and four sets of articles. The House impeached him twice during his first term, in 2019 over Ukraine and in 2021 over the January 6 Capitol attack, and the Senate acquitted him both times.1Constitution Annotated, Congress.gov. Senate Impeachment Trials Since his return to office in January 2025, House Democrats have introduced several more resolutions from the minority, forced two floor votes, and filed articles against two Cabinet secretaries, without moving any of them closer to removal.
The Two First-Term Impeachments
On December 18, 2019, the House impeached Trump on two articles arising from his effort to pressure Ukraine to investigate political rivals: abuse of power and obstruction of Congress. The abuse of power article passed 230–197, the obstruction article 229–198.2Smithsonian National Museum of American History. Impeachment3GovTrack. President Donald Trump Impeached for Abuse of Power and Obstruction The Senate acquitted him on February 5, 2020, voting 52–48 on abuse of power and 53–47 on obstruction. Only Senator Mitt Romney of Utah broke with Republicans, voting to convict on abuse of power.4PBS NewsHour. The Final Day of Trump’s Impeachment Trial
The second impeachment came a week before Trump left office. On January 13, 2021, the House approved a single article charging him with incitement of insurrection over the January 6 Capitol attack. The vote was 232–197, with ten Republicans crossing over — the most bipartisan presidential impeachment vote in history.5The New York Times. Trump Impeached for Incitement of Insurrection Because the Senate trial began after Trump had already left office, the chamber first voted 56–44 to affirm that it could try a former president. On February 13, 2021, senators voted 57–43 to convict, well short of the two-thirds needed. Seven Republicans voted guilty: Richard Burr, Bill Cassidy, Susan Collins, Lisa Murkowski, Mitt Romney, Ben Sasse, and Pat Toomey.6U.S. Senate. Roll Call Vote 59, 117th Congress A survey of senators later found 38 of the 43 who acquitted cited, at least in part, a belief that the Senate lacked jurisdiction over a former president.1Constitution Annotated, Congress.gov. Senate Impeachment Trials
Trump remains the only president impeached twice and the only one tried after leaving office.1Constitution Annotated, Congress.gov. Senate Impeachment Trials
Second-Term Resolutions Since January 2025
Democrats returned to the minority in January 2025 without the power to hold hearings, subpoena witnesses, or move articles through committee. What they retained was a procedural tool: the privileged resolution, which forces a floor vote but can be killed by a simple majority motion to table. Every second-term impeachment effort so far has run through that channel.
Thanedar’s Seven Articles (May 2025)
Rep. Shri Thanedar of Michigan was first. On May 13, 2025, he notified the House he would force a vote on a 29-page resolution containing seven articles against Trump.7Office of Rep. Shri Thanedar. Rep. Shri Thanedar Calls for Vote on Trump Impeachment The charges alleged obstruction of justice and defiance of federal courts, seizure of Congress’s spending power, abusive tariff policies, retaliation against journalists and critics, an unconstitutional role for Elon Musk over federal agencies and personal data, bribery and acceptance of foreign payments, and a broader pattern of tyrannical overreach.
The filing reportedly caught Democratic leadership off guard, and several colleagues withdrew as co-sponsors, calling it a distraction from the party’s messaging on a pending budget reconciliation bill. Moments before a scheduled vote to table, on May 14, Thanedar withdrew the resolution himself, saying he wanted more time to build support.8Roll Call. Trump Impeachment Resolution Shri Thanedar
Al Green’s Two Forced Votes (June and December 2025)
Rep. Al Green of Texas, who had already forced impeachment votes during Trump’s first term, brought two resolutions in 2025. His first, H.Res.537, was tabled 344–79 on June 24, 2025. Among Democrats, 128 voted to kill it and 79 voted to advance it.9Clerk of the U.S. House of Representatives. Roll Call 175
By December 11, 2025, when Green forced a second vote on H.Res.939, the caucus had shifted. The motion to table passed 237–140. Forty-seven Democrats voted “present,” and only 23 sided with Republicans to quash the resolution. Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries and his leadership team were among those voting “present,” a deliberate middle position. The 23 Democrats who joined Republicans to table included Reps. Jason Crow, Sharice Davids, Jared Golden, Josh Gottheimer, and Gabe Vasquez, most of them from competitive districts.10Clerk of the U.S. House of Representatives. Roll Call 322
Larson’s 13 Articles (April 2026)
The broadest second-term filing came on April 6, 2026, when Rep. John Larson of Connecticut introduced H.Res.1155 with 13 articles drafted by consumer advocate Ralph Nader and constitutional lawyer Bruce Fein.11U.S. Congress. H.Res.1155 Full Text The articles alleged unconstitutional war-making in Iran and Venezuela, militarization of domestic law enforcement through National Guard deployments, race- and dissent-based detentions and deportations, retaliation against protected speech, abuse of the pardon power including for January 6 defendants, dismantling of consumer and environmental agencies, usurpation of Congress’s spending authority, contempt of Congress, retaliatory investigations of political opponents, illegal discharge of 17 Inspectors General, an executive-order attempt to end birthright citizenship, false emergency declarations and misclassification of groups as terrorist organizations, and emoluments violations.
An accompanying “Expert Legal Symposium” inside the House identified war powers, potential interference with the 2026 midterms, and alleged “industrial scale bribery and extortion” as the strongest grounds for removal.12Common Dreams. Movement Impeach Trump The resolution was considered highly unlikely to advance under Republican control of the House.13CT Public. Trump Impeachment Congress John Larson 25th Amendment
The Iran Flashpoint in April 2026
On April 7, 2026, Trump posted on Truth Social about a confrontation with Iran: “a whole civilization will die tonight, never to be brought back again. I don’t want that to happen, but it probably will.”14Axios. Trump Impeachment 25th Amendment Iran Democrats More than 85 House and Senate Democrats called for impeachment or invocation of the 25th Amendment, including members of House leadership, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, and former Speaker Nancy Pelosi.
Rep. Sara Jacobs of California said Congress “must consider all options — including impeachment — to stop Trump.” Rep. Joaquin Castro of Texas urged the Cabinet to invoke the 25th Amendment, saying, “It’s clear the president has continued to decline and is not fit to lead.”15The New York Times. Democrats React Trump Iran Civilization Senator Ed Markey of Massachusetts called on Congress to “stop this war and remove Donald Trump.”14Axios. Trump Impeachment 25th Amendment Iran Democrats Trump announced a two-week ceasefire with Iran that evening, roughly an hour before his deadline for Iran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz. Democratic lawmakers said the ceasefire did not change their calls for removal. An April 2026 Strength In Numbers/Verasight poll found 55% of U.S. adults supported impeachment.16Axios. Trump Impeachment House Democrats 2026 Election
Why Democratic Leadership Has Held Back
Throughout 2025 and 2026, Jeffries has declined to commit the party to impeachment. His stated concern is strategic. A failed effort, he has argued, risks being framed as tacit approval of Trump’s conduct and would pull attention from the midterm message on affordability: cost of living, housing, groceries, and healthcare.17CNN. Democrats Trump Identity Impeachment 2026 Minority Whip Katherine Clark said the “present” votes from leadership in December 2025 acknowledged that Democrats cannot force Trump from office in the current Congress.
Even after the Iran crisis, Jeffries told reporters on April 9, 2026: “I don’t want to get out ahead of that discussion. If we move in this direction, we want to be able to do it in an informed way.” A source familiar with his thinking said the party needed to “do the work” to build broader support, including Republican cooperation that had not been attempted.18Time. Calls to Impeach Trump Collide With Reluctant Democratic Leadership
Jeffries asked Rep. Jamie Raskin, ranking Democrat on the House Judiciary Committee, to brief the caucus on the mechanics of impeachment and the 25th Amendment. On the April 10, 2026 private call, led by Caucus Vice Chair Ted Lieu, Raskin told colleagues impeachment was the “best path forward” because, unlike the 25th Amendment, it does not require the cooperation of Vice President J.D. Vance. Raskin also floated a 16-member independent commission to evaluate presidential fitness under Section 4 of the 25th Amendment and said he planned to reintroduce legislation creating one. Participants agreed both routes were long shots while Republicans held the House.19Notus. Democrats Weigh a Fight Over Impeachment or the 25th Amendment Trump
By June 2026, Jeffries had settled on a hedge. “We haven’t ruled anything in; we haven’t ruled anything out,” he told reporters, adding that impeachment was not a focus “at this moment.” He said a Democratic majority after November 2026 would prioritize an “anti-corruption agenda” — banning members of Congress from trading stocks and barring staff from placing bets on prediction markets — before impeachment proceedings.20CNBC. Jeffries Trump Impeachment
Cabinet Impeachment Articles: Noem and Hegseth
Democratic filings in the second term have not been limited to Trump himself. Two Cabinet secretaries have drawn formal articles.
On January 14, 2026, Rep. Robin Kelly of Illinois introduced three articles against Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem. The resolution accused her of obstruction of Congress for blocking lawmakers from entering detention facilities; violation of public trust over warrantless arrests and use of force, including an operation linked to the death of Renee Nicole Good; and self-dealing over a $200 million ICE recruitment ad contract steered to a firm connected to a senior DHS official and friend of Noem, bypassing competitive bidding.21Office of Rep. Robin Kelly. Rep. Kelly Introduces Articles of Impeachment Against Secretary Noem The resolution grew from 70 co-sponsors to at least 162, which Kelly’s office described as more than three-fourths of House Democrats.22Office of Rep. Robin Kelly. Over Three-Fourths House Democrats Support Rep. Kelly’s Impeachment Noem called the effort “silly.”
On April 15, 2026, Rep. Yassamin Ansari of Arizona introduced H.Res.1177, six articles against Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth. The charges included unauthorized war against Iran, violations of the law of armed conflict and targeting of civilians, negligent handling of sensitive military information (citing the “Signalgate” scandal involving the Signal messaging app), obstruction of congressional oversight, abuse of power and politicization of the armed forces, and conduct bringing disrepute upon the U.S. military.23U.S. Congress. H.Res.1177 Text The resolution had 13 Democratic co-sponsors and was referred to the House Judiciary Committee. The Pentagon called the articles a “charade.”24Axios. Iran War Pete Hegseth Congress Impeachment Articles
Why Removal Remains Out of Reach
The obstacle is arithmetic. Democrats are the minority in both chambers. Even if they retake the House in the 2026 midterms and vote to impeach, conviction in the Senate needs a two-thirds majority, which would require roughly 17 Republican senators to cross over, assuming every Democrat votes to convict.25U.S. Senate. About Impeachment No president has ever been removed by impeachment. One unnamed House Democrat put it bluntly to Axios: “Impeachment is not one of the things we can win — now or, unfortunately, at any point during this presidency.”16Axios. Trump Impeachment House Democrats 2026 Election
That has not stopped a faction of the caucus from pressing forward for other reasons. Green has framed forced votes as a way “to express our disapproval of a President’s behavior,” whether or not removal is realistic.18Time. Calls to Impeach Trump Collide With Reluctant Democratic Leadership A separate group including Reps. Delia Ramirez and Yassamin Ansari is pursuing a longer play: building a case now through “shadow hearings” and fact-finding, so a Democratic majority could act quickly in January 2027 if the midterms deliver one.16Axios. Trump Impeachment House Democrats 2026 Election