House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries said Sunday that Democrats have not ruled out impeaching President Trump for a third time if the party takes back the House and Senate in November’s midterm elections.
“We haven’t ruled anything in or ruled anything out in terms of accountability,” Jeffries, a New York Democrat, said on NBC News’ “Meet the Press.”
Jeffries quickly shifted the message, saying Democrats would focus on economic concerns if they win the majority. “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,” Jeffries said.
The comments come as a number of Democrats have made impeachment of Trump a centerpiece of their 2026 campaigns. The party has begun laying groundwork for investigations targeting Trump in preparation for a potential House majority, though Democratic leaders have spoken broadly about perceived corruption without specifying what charges they would pursue.
Trump was impeached twice during his first term. The House impeached him in January 2021 following the Capitol riot, and again in December 2019 over a phone call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. The Senate acquitted him both times.
Republicans are widely expected to retain their narrow Senate majority in November, which would effectively prevent a conviction even if the House voted to impeach. A conviction requires a two-thirds vote in the Senate.
Trump has repeatedly warned supporters that Democrats would move to impeach him if they gain power, and the prospect has become a recurring theme in Republican fundraising appeals heading into the fall.
Several House Democrats running in competitive districts have made impeachment pledges the core of their campaigns. Rep. Dan Goldman of New York, among others, has explicitly backed a third impeachment push. Democrats’ stated strategy diverges depending on the candidate, with some focused on affordability and others running on holding Trump accountable.
Jeffries declined to offer specifics about what grounds Democrats would pursue if impeachment proceedings moved forward.
Senate Republicans, asked about Jeffries’ comments, said the pledge underscores Democratic priorities heading into the midterms. Senate Majority Leader John Thune of South Dakota has previously argued that another impeachment drive would amount to election interference.
