Democrats could win control of the House on Tuesday and open the door to fresh impeachment proceedings against Donald Trump. That would give them the power to investigate his administration and, if they chose, launch a new fight that Trump has already survived twice.
The question is not why people are searching for impeachment now. It is because Tuesday's midterm elections could decide whether Democrats get the chamber they need to use it. Republicans entered the vote with a narrow 218-214 edge in the House and a 53-47 lead in the Senate, and Democrats needed a net gain of three seats to take the House. They needed four seats to win the Senate.
If Democrats take the House, they would gain broad oversight authority over the Trump administration during the final two years of the term, along with the ability to begin impeachment proceedings against members of the administration, including President Donald Trump. During his first term, House Democrats launched two impeachment bids against him. This time, the stakes are framed not just around one vote but around control of the chamber that would decide whether those powers are used.
Trump has already tried to blunt that prospect by saying this week that he would become Mr. Veto if Republicans lose control of Congress. He said, “They'll be sending stuff up. You veto it. And eventually, after a month or two of getting all vetoed—they're just wasting time—they come over, and you make a deal.”
That threat captures the central contradiction of the next Congress and U. House of Representatives and U fight. If Democrats win the House, they could spend the last two years of Trump's term probing the executive branch and weighing impeachment again. If Republicans hang on, Trump can turn the next two years into a veto test instead. A White House spokeswoman, Lauren Bis, said Tuesday that Democrats have no agenda beyond a “decade long witch hunt” against President Trump, while the administration and Republican allies would keep pressing their agenda on borders, law and order and the economy.
The midterms were already expected to be rough for the party in the White House, and forecasters had pointed to a blue wave for the Democratic Party. As of Monday, RealClearPolitics gave Democrats an 8.9-point lead on the generic ballot, while Nate Silver's polling aggregate showed them ahead in Alaska, Iowa, Kansas, Maine, Michigan and North Carolina. Trump has also seen his approval rating fall amid voter frustration over the economy and the cost of living.
So the immediate answer is simple: Democrats may not move to impeach if they win the House, but they would be the only party with the procedural power to do it. The next test comes when the ballots are counted and control of the chamber is settled.
