Democrats Weigh Trump Impeachment Against Midterms Prospects

A winning strategy for 2026 – or a millstone around their necks?

How many times do you impeach the same president, see him acquitted by the Senate, and then vow to do it all over again? This is one of the questions some congressional Democrats are probably asking themselves – while others still, like a broken record (for those who know what a record is, in the context of this analogy), keep skipping back to the same place. But while those others are still baying for political blood, many Democrats on Capitol Hill are souring on the impeachment tactic, even as they find themselves now considering a possible impeachment effort targeting Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem.

On Jan. 14, Rep. Robin Kelly (D-IL) introduced three articles of impeachment against Noem – obstruction of Congress, violation of public trust, and self-dealing. So far, around 100 Democrats have reportedly signed on. Still, it looks as though it will be a heavy lift. Republicans may have only a paper-thin majority in the House, but that still means Kelly and Co. need all Democrats on board, plus some Republican support.

Additionally, the impeachers will have to lay out their evidence and allow the presentation of evidence from the other side, much like a criminal trial. This would expose some of the false narratives they have created around what agencies such as Customs and Border Protection and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) are really doing – and how they are doing it.

The Ghost of Impeachment Past

What about President Donald Trump? As Liberty Nation News has been reporting, his political opponents began flogging the impeachment horse almost as soon as he returned to office in January of last year.

In April, Rep. Shri Thanedar (D-MI) revealed that he had filed seven articles of impeachment against the president. It was a laughable and, even for some Democrats, frustrating episode, and it went nowhere. “We’re not playing those stupid politics,” Sen. Ruben Gallego (D-AZ) told the Washington Examiner a few days after Thanedar’s announcement.

Rep. Al Green (D-TX) has attempted three times since May 2025 to impeach President Trump. On his last try, in December, nearly two dozen Democrats helped Republicans slam the door.

With an eye on the 2026 midterm elections, some Democrats are thinking that perhaps having an agenda beyond impeaching Trump might be the way to go. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (NY) observed to CNN that, as he travels around the country, impeachment “is not an issue that often comes up.” And he is surely telling the truth. Surprisingly enough, despite the real numbers – fortunately for the Democrats – it seems most Americans still think the cost of everything is going up, and they appear to be blaming Trump.

Democrat insiders think promising another Trump impeachment is not how their party wins control of the House in November. “It’s a waste of time,” one representative, who CNN described as “close to Jeffries,” bluntly said. Another top House Democrat called it a “huge mistake.”

An ‘At Least We Tried’ Hail Mary?

But even pushing the impeachment of Secretary Noem may not be without danger for the party out of power. As Pete Aguilar, representative from California and a senior Democrat in the House, pointed out about the effort to impeach Noem, “The president is going to try to gin up his base and use this as a tool to get his folks out to vote. There’s no basis behind it. It’s not the priority of the Democratic caucus.”

Democrats know very well they do not have the votes to impeach the president or any member of his cabinet. Why do it then? The impeachment of Noem is only being explored and may not come to anything. But like Trump’s supporters, his antagonists want accountability. MAGA world wants perp walks for numerous transgressors – from Hillary Clinton to the Jan. 6 committee to the Bidens to Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz. Trump supporters want someone to pay for a long list of various crimes, some apparently very real, others perceived or suspected.

On the other side, progressives want some kind of action taken against Trump and his administration. Impeachment, however toothless, is for House Democrats perhaps the way to satisfy the wolves. At least we tried, they can say, so vote us back into power.