House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries said he “hasn’t ruled out” impeaching President Donald Trump if Democrats retake the House, The Hill reported on Sept. 13, 2026, citing his remarks about possible future action.
Jeffries’s comment was reported by The Hill after he spoke about the party’s approach to holding the White House accountable if Democrats win back a majority in the midterm elections; The Hill summarized his line that Democrats have not ruled out pursuing impeachment in that scenario.
Earlier coverage has shown Jeffries offering mixed signals: in April he said impeaching Trump would not be a top priority if Democrats regained the House, a stance reported in April coverage and cited in later reporting as part of party debate over strategy.
That tension — between keeping impeachment on the table and ranking it behind other legislative goals — is reflected in other recent coverage of Democratic leaders saying impeachment should not be the immediate focus, and of internal party debate about priorities heading into the midterms.
How past impeachments shape the calculation
Observers note the practical stakes: the House has impeached Trump twice before, with the first House impeachment vote in December 2019 and a second impeachment in January 2021, according to Reuters and congressional records, which lawmakers say inform whether pursuing another impeachment would succeed or be politically useful.
Legal and political analysts have told outlets covering the debate that the procedural and Senate-track realities make impeachment a consequential and high-risk step, which is why some Democrats emphasize other priorities even as leaders say they won’t rule options out.
Why the debate matters: an impeachment inquiry or articles of impeachment would consume floor time and committee resources and could affect Democratic messaging in competitive districts, analysts and reporters say.
Sources
- The Hill — reported Jeffries “hasn’t ruled out” impeaching Trump if Democrats retake the House, Sept. 13, 2026.
- ABC News — coverage of Jeffries’s broader remarks and Democratic strategy, Sept. 13, 2026.
- Reuters — historical record that the House impeached Trump twice (Dec. 2019 and Jan. 2021), used as precedent context.
- Axios — reporting on Jeffries’s earlier comments and the party’s internal debate over impeachment as a midterms strategy.
Related reading: Clyburn says impeaching Trump shouldn’t be Democrats’ priority if they win House and Jeffries vows ‘serious response’ after two Democrats vote with Republicans.
