Democrat introduces seven articles of impeachment against Trump
A U.S. House Democrat introduced seven articles of impeachment against President Donald Trump for abuse of power and “flagrant” violations of the U.S. Constitution. Rep. Shri Thanedar, D-Mich., said President Trump is unfit to serve and is a danger to democracy.
What are the allegations?
“His unlawful actions have subverted the justice system, violated the separation of powers, and placed personal power and self-interest above public service,” Thanedar said in a statement. “We cannot wait for more damage to be done. Congress must act.”
The articles make these seven accusations:
- Obstruction of justice and abuse of executive power: unlawful deportations, denial of due process and defiance of court orders;
- Usurpation of appropriations power: impounding funds and dismantling agencies established by Congress;
- Abuse of trade powers and international aggression: imposing tariffs and threatening military invasion of sovereign nations;
- Violation of First Amendment rights: retaliatory actions against critics, including media outlets and attorneys;
- Creation of an unlawful office: the Department of Government Efficiency is illegal and unconstitutional;
- Bribery and corruption: dismissing or pursuing criminal cases as a result of political interest or favor;
- Tyrannical overreach: defying constitutional limits on presidential authority.
Who else wants to impeach Trump?
Thanedar isn’t the first Democrat to introduce articles of impeachment against Trump in his first 100 days back in office. Rep. Al Green, D-Texas, announced he would introduce impeachment articles in February after President Trump said the United States should take over Gaza, displace its inhabitants and turn it into the “Riviera of the Middle East.”
“Ethnic cleansing in Gaza is not a joke, especially when it emanates from the president of the United States,” Green said at the time.
Will Trump be impeached again?
President Trump likely won’t be impeached or removed from office as long as Republicans control Congress. But the White House is preparing for a possible change in power after the 2026 midterms.
A top Trump pollster, and even Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, have said they believe Democrats would immediately move to impeach President Trump if they retook the majority. “I’m certain,” Trump pollster John McLaughlin told Axios.
As a result, the administration is likely seeking to push through as much of Trump’s agenda as possible in his first two years as president, knowing that responding to and defending against an impeachment inquiry could take thousands of man-hours. Officials may also hope that the threat of an impeachment will motivate Trump’s base to vote in the 2026 elections.
History suggests that Democrats will retake the majority in the 2026 midterm elections. Since 1934, the president’s party has lost seats in all but two mid-term elections.
Trump has been impeached but never convicted
Trump is the only president to be impeached twice — once for withholding funds and weapons to Ukraine after demanding that Ukraine investigate Hunter Biden, and then again in the wake of the Jan. 6, 2021 insurrection at the U.S. Capitol.
In both cases, the Senate failed to convict him. A conviction in the Senate requires a decisive two-thirds majority of at least 67 of 100 senators. No U.S. president has ever been convicted by the required two-thirds majority in the Senate.
Ella Rae Greene, Editor In Chief
