Top Democrats Halt Momentum for Trump Impeachment Over Iran Threats

Schumer and Jeffries say impeachment would be a 'distraction' from midterm campaign messaging.

Apr. 10, 2026 at 6:21pm

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A dimly lit, cinematic painting of a lone government building or political figure, with warm light casting dramatic shadows across the scene, conveying a sense of tension and unease in the political climate.As Democratic leaders hold back on impeachment, the political landscape remains shrouded in uncertainty and unease.NYC Today

Rather than calling for impeachment after President Donald Trump's threats of 'civilization-wide annihilation' against Iran, Democratic leaders Chuck Schumer and Hakeem Jeffries have criticized the idea as a 'distraction' from their planned midterm campaign focused on economic issues like inflation and healthcare. This has halted the momentum of over 70 lawmakers who had called for Trump's impeachment or removal via the 25th Amendment over the threats.

Why it matters

The Democratic Party's refusal to pursue impeachment despite Trump's extreme rhetoric is likely to further damage their approval ratings, which already lag behind Republicans due to perceptions that the party is weak and ineffective. Polls show a large swath of voters could be swayed by a principled anti-war stance, as the conflict with Iran has driven up energy and consumer costs.

The details

After Trump's threats on Tuesday, over 70 lawmakers, including some senators, called for his impeachment or removal via the 25th Amendment. However, both Schumer and Jeffries have rejected these calls, with Jeffries saying they don't want to 'get out ahead' of an impeachment discussion. Party leaders believe an impeachment effort would fail and distract from their economic messaging for the midterms.

  • On Tuesday, Trump threatened that 'a whole civilization will die tonight' in relation to the conflict with Iran.
  • On Wednesday, Schumer criticized Trump's handling of the war with Iran, but did not call for impeachment.

The players

Chuck Schumer

The Senate Minority Leader from New York who has criticized Trump's handling of the conflict with Iran but not called for impeachment.

Hakeem Jeffries

The House Minority Leader from New York who has rejected calls for impeachment, saying they don't want to 'get out ahead' of the discussion.

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What they’re saying

“The Iranian regime is still standing. Not just standing, but now emboldened. Iran's nuclear ambition, worse. The bottom line is that Iran still has its nuclear stockpile. Its nuclear ambitions are still unchecked, if not accelerated.”

— Chuck Schumer, Senate Minority Leader

“I don't want to get out ahead of that discussion ... we want to be able to do [impeachment] in an informed way.”

— Hakeem Jeffries, House Minority Leader

What’s next

The Senate is expected to take up a war powers resolution next week regarding the conflict with Iran.

The takeaway

The Democratic Party's reluctance to pursue impeachment over Trump's extreme rhetoric on Iran, despite strong public support, is likely to further erode their credibility and approval ratings with voters who want to see the party take a principled stand against the President's actions.