"That's not the fight right now": Democrats shut down talk of impeaching Trump this year

Axios Axios —

Even Democrats who have called to https://www.axios.com/2026/04/07/trump-iran-impeachment-25th-amendment-war-crimes" target="_blank">impeach President Trump acknowledge there is little chance of it happening unless they retake control of at least one chamber of Congress.

Why it matters: Democratic lawmakers are stuck.

They know impeachment won't succeed, but their base keeps https://www.axios.com/2025/07/07/democrats-trump-resistance-violence-congress" target="_blank">demanding they up the ante with drastic acts of anti-Trump resistance.

  • "People are pissed and know we have to fight," one senior House Democrat told Axios.
  • But Republicans control Congress, and the Senate requires a two-thirds majority to convict a president impeached by the House.
  • That has led lawmakers to pay lip service to moves like impeachment and the https://www.axios.com/2026/04/08/25th-amendment-remove-presidents-trump" target="_blank">25th Amendment in response to the latest Trump outrage, and then focus their attention on more plausible but less flashy tactics.

Driving the news: Rep. Madeleine Dean (D-Pa.) told Axios that while she "called for 25th Amendment and impeachment" over Trump's https://www.axios.com/2026/04/07/trump-threaten-iran-civilization-die" target="_blank">posts about Iran on Truth Social, she doesn't think it is "the best use of our time."

  • "That's not the fight right now," the https://www.axios.com/2021/01/13/pelosi-names-impeachment-managers" target="_blank">former Trump impeachment manager said. "Right now we have to end this war and we have to reclaim our Constitutional responsibility."
  • Dean added that Democrats should also focus on trying to "bring prices down, bring anxiety down for all Americans."

State of play: Dean's comments came just after she and a half dozen other House Democrats https://www.axios.com/2026/04/09/trump-iran-democrat-congress-war-powers-vote" target="_blank">tried unsuccessfully to pass a war powers resolution that would block Trump from resuming hostilities with Iran.

What we're hearing: A Democratic leadership aide and a House Democrat close to the leader told Axios that Jeffries has given no indication he would get behind a proactive Trump impeachment effort this year.

Yes, but: Jeffries has given several clear indications of his lack of zeal for impeachment in general.

What they're saying: Several of the other lawmakers who were with Dean at the Capitol on Thursday — all of whom represent safely Democratic districts — echoed her cautious tone on impeachment.

  • "There are going to be [people like] Al Green that are going to want to impeach right away, and there's certainly a lot of passion in our base, the people who are calling me want to impeach right now," said Rep. Don Beyer (D-Va.).
  • But Beyer said Dean "has the right case" that impeachment "wouldn't likely succeed, so we're not running it."
  • Rep. Sara Jacobs (D-Calif.) said "all options should be on the table" but that Democrats shouldn't "move forward with an impeachment that looks political," saying a failed vote "is worse than no impeachment at all."

Several other Democrats echoed Dean's comments that their focus should be on concrete issues like the war in Iran and affordability.

  • Rep. Glenn Ivey (D-Md.) pointed to the war powers resolution and the DHS funding fight as top priorities, saying Democrats "need to focus on these two steps first."
  • Rep. James Walkinshaw (D-Va.) said if Democrats take the House majority, they should hold "hearings where we lay out the case" for impeachment, but that "priority number one [should be to] put bills on Donald Trump's desk that will bring down costs."

What's next: There may very well be more rogue Trump impeachment votes this year, as well as votes to impeach individual cabinet secretaries.

Read full article at Axios →