Trump says he’s ‘going to be impeached’ if Democrats win November midterms

MYRTLE BEACH, SOUTH CAROLINA: President Donald Trump on Friday, August 21, warned supporters at a campaign-style rally in South Carolina that he expects Democrats to impeach him if Republicans lose control of Congress in the upcoming November midterm elections.

Trump said that Democrats would seek to remove him even if they had no clear reason to do so. His comments echoed a warning he made to Republican lawmakers earlier this year, while Democrats have said they would initially focus on investigations rather than move directly toward impeachment.

Trump again warns of impeachment if Democrats take Congress

Speaking to the crowd, Trump argued that a Democratic takeover of Congress would threaten jobs and businesses before turning to the prospect of his own impeachment.

“Your jobs are going to be lost. They're going to end up closing up. Your businesses are going to flee just like they did years ago. They're going to flee our country. I'm going to be impeached. They're going to impeach me. They have no idea why,” Trump said.

Trump has made similar warnings throughout the year as he has urged Republicans to protect their congressional majorities. In January this year, speaking to Republican lawmakers at a retreat in Washington, he said the party needed to win the midterms because Democrats would otherwise “find a reason” to impeach him.

“You’ve got to win the midterms because, if we don’t win the midterms, it’s just going to be,  I mean, they’ll find a reason to impeach me. I will get impeached,” Trump said at the time.

All 435 House seats are scheduled to be contested in November, along with 33 Senate seats. The House holds the power to impeach a president by a simple majority, while conviction and removal from office require a two-thirds vote in the Senate.

Democrats plan investigations before considering impeachment

However, Democrats are preparing a broad investigative strategy if they regain control of the House, with congressional committees expected to examine Trump's administration, business interests and political network.

The plans reportedly include hearings, subpoenas and requests for documents involving government contracts, corporate relationships, financial dealings and other matters connected to the administration.

Senior Democrats have indicated that investigations would come before any decision on impeachment. A Democratic aide said the party does not intend to begin its potential House majority with an impeachment vote.

“We're not going into this to impeach,” the aide said. “No one wants a failed vote on day one. The focus is on building a body of evidence through investigations that can hold Trump accountable.”

Impeachment could still be considered if congressional investigations produce evidence of conduct Democrats believe meets the constitutional threshold. “If investigations uncover evidence that we believe meets the threshold, we will not hesitate to move forward,” the aide said.

The approach reflects Democrats' concerns about repeating the political dynamics of Trump's first term, when the House impeached him twice, and the Senate acquitted him both times. For now, however, Democrats are publicly describing investigations and oversight as the initial priority if they regain control of the House.