Impeachment of Donald trump in 2026
Executive summary
Multiple House resolutions to impeach President Donald J. Trump have been introduced in 2025–2026, but as of January 2026 no full-fledged impeachment proceeding that would culminate in a Senate trial has begun; activists and some members of Congress are pressing for action while party leaders weigh electoral strategy and institutional hurdles [1] [2] [3] [4]. The contest now is as much political—centered on timing and midterm risks—as it is legal, with advocates pushing for immediate accountability and others urging delay until after the 2026 midterms to preserve strategic advantages [5] [6].
1. What’s on the congressional record: several impeachment resolutions introduced
Since Trump’s return to the presidency, multiple House resolutions have been filed laying out articles alleging “high crimes and misdemeanors,” including H.Res.353, H.Res.537 and H.Res.939, each advancing different constellations of charges such as abuse of power, incitement and threats against judges and lawmakers, with full texts available on Congress.gov that explicitly state the House’s intent to exhibit articles of impeachment to the Senate [1] [2] [3].
2. The political calculus: Democrats divided on timing versus accountability
Democratic leaders and strategists are publicly split: some progressive members and grassroots activists demand immediate impeachment as an accountability tool, while prominent Democrats and some strategists counsel waiting until after the 2026 midterm elections to avoid energizing Trump’s base and to preserve a more electorally advantageous environment—an argument voiced by elected officials and analyzed in opinion coverage [5] [7].
3. Grassroots pressure and congressional maneuvers have escalated but fallen short of a trial
Civic campaigns and third‑party petitions—ranging from organized advocacy groups like Free Speech For People to online petitions touted by nonpartisan collectives—have amplified calls for impeachment and helped gather signatures and symbolic votes, and a reported 140 House members voted in December 2025 to advance elements of impeachment advocacy, but those actions have not yet translated into a completed House impeachment and Senate trial as of early 2026 [8] [9] [10].
4. Constitutional mechanics and legal obstacles remain decisive
Impeachment requires a majority vote in the House to pass articles and then a two‑thirds Senate conviction to remove a president; analysts and legal scholars note that invoking the 25th Amendment is a separate, unlikely route that would require Cabinet or vice presidential action and a rapid congressional response, and commentators emphasize that impeachment remains the more conventional constitutional remedy if lawmakers are confident they have the votes and evidence [2] [11].
5. Realistic pathways and probabilities for 2026—political signals and forecasting
Public reporting and political markets in early 2026 place a modest probability on impeachment occurring by year’s end, with observers noting that no “serious impeachment proceedings” had commenced since Trump’s return and that odds estimates rose modestly around certain revelations—yet the decisive variable remains control of the House after the November 2026 midterms, a fact highlighted by Trump and House leaders who warn that electoral outcomes will determine whether impeachment is actionable [4] [6] [12].
6. What to expect next and limits of current reporting
Expect continued introduction and debate of articles in the House, intensified pressure campaigns from activist coalitions, and strategic withholding or pursuit of impeachment votes depending on midterm forecasts; reporting to date documents proposed articles, votes to advance discussion, and public statements by leaders, but available sources do not show a completed House impeachment and Senate trial in 2026 as of January, and do not settle legal determinations about guilt—those would be the province of congressional votes and, potentially, courts or investigations [1] [2] [10].