House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) has indicated that Democrats have not dismissed the possibility of impeaching President Donald Trump should they regain control of the House in the 2026 midterm elections. During an appearance on NBC's "Meet the Press" on Sunday, Jeffries responded to a question from moderator Kristen Welker about the party's top priorities if they win the midterms.
Welker referenced a post on X from April by Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.), who criticized Trump's military actions in Iran. "President Trump has launched a massive war of enormous risk and of catastrophic consequence without reason, rationale or congressional authorization which is as clear a violation of the Constitution as any. All of these incidents and plenty more have clearly driven our country past the threshold for impeachment," Welker read aloud. She then asked Jeffries, "Do you agree if Democrats take back the House, will you move to impeach President Trump?"
Jeffries noted that Democrats have not ruled out any measures regarding accountability. "What we have said is that our focus is going to be to make life more affordable for the American people. We have to drive down the high cost of living. We have to restore the American dream, which a lot of people understandably have concluded is broken right now," he said.
Jeffries emphasized that Democrats aim to ensure Americans can lead an "affordable" and "comfortable life." "That means a good paying job, good housing, good healthcare, a good education for your children, and when it's all said and done, a good retirement. That's what brings Democrats together in the House, in the Senate, governors all across the country," he added. "And that's what we'll focus on when the American people give us an opportunity to govern on their behalf in the majority."
Earlier this month, Jeffries told CNBC's Emily Wilkins that while impeachment is not impossible, it is not the party's primary focus "at this moment." Trump was impeached twice during his first term.
