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By Jenna Sundel
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House Speaker Mike Johnson warned on Sunday that President Donald Trump could be impeached if Republicans lose the majority in the House of Representatives in the 2026 midterm elections.
"If we lose the House majority, the radical left, as you’ve already heard, is going to impeach President Trump. They’re going to create absolute chaos. We cannot let that happen," Johnson, a Republican from Louisiana, said at Turning Point USA’s AmericaFest conference.
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Kiersten Pels, the Republican National Committee's national press secretary, told Newsweek, "Democrats have made it clear that if they regain power, their agenda won’t be bringing down costs or securing the border — it will be launching partisan impeachment crusades against President Trump and his administration. If Democrats take back Congress, Americans can expect obstruction, impeachments, and government shutdowns instead of the safer streets and lower prices they voted for last year.”
Why It Matters
Even if Democrats win the House majority in the upcoming midterm elections and vote to impeach Trump, it is unlikely he would face removal in the Senate. Removal requires a two-thirds majority vote.
Trump was impeached twice during his first term, once in 2019 and again in 2021. The Senate voted to acquit Trump both times, allowing him to remain in office.
What To Know
Earlier this month, 140 Democrats in the House of Representatives voted against tabling a motion to impeach Trump.
The effort failed to receive the majority needed to move forward, with 214 House Republicans voting to table the measure. Six Republicans did not vote. Additionally, 23 Democrats voted to table the resolution and 47 Democrats voted "present."
Representative Al Green, a Texas Democrat, filed the articles of impeachment. The resolution listed two articles. The first accused Trump of abusing presidential power in a Truth Social post accusing several Democratic lawmakers of "SEDITIOUS BEHAVIOR, punishable by DEATH." The White House said Trump was not seeking their executions.
The second article accused Trump of threatening judicial independence by attacking federal judges online.
While the majority of House Democrats voted against tabling the resolution, top House Democrats voted "present."
House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries, Democratic Whip Katherine Clark and Democratic Caucus Chair Pete Aguilar said in a joint statement before the vote, "Impeachment is a sacred constitutional vehicle designed to hold a corrupt executive accountable for abuse of power, breaking the law and violating the public trust. The effort traditionally requires a comprehensive investigative process, the collection and review of thousands of documents, an exacting scrutiny of the facts, the examination of dozens of key witnesses, Congressional hearings, sustained public organizing and the marshaling of the forces of democracy to build a broad national consensus. None of that serious work has been done, with the Republican majority focused solely on rubber stamping Donald Trump’s extreme agenda."
What People Are Saying
Johnson, at Turning Point USA’s AmericaFest conference on Sunday: "Everything is on the line in the midterms in 2026, and we have much more to do."
Green, in a statement on December 11: "While the House ultimately tabled my impeachment resolution, the diversity of support for this impeachment includes ranking members of full committees, subcommittees, and persons from different political caucuses. This should send a powerful message to President Trump. He should understand now that targeting people is not only harmful to the people he targets, but also harmful to the continuation of his presidency."
What Happens Next
The 2026 midterm elections, in large part, are scheduled for November 3.
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