The keys to the republican strategy for 2026
Impeachment may not be something Donald Trump personally wants, but it’s shaping up to be a major issue for the 2026 midterm elections. Republican strategists say it could help the party keep control of Congress by motivating Trump’s supporters to vote.
Why midterms are tough for sitting presidents
It’s a well-known fact in American politics that presidents usually lose seats in Congress during midterm elections. This is often because voters use these elections to check or push back on the president’s party.
For Trump, this challenge is even bigger. His political strength depends heavily on a loyal base of supporters who feel passionate about him. But when his name isn’t on the ballot, those voters don’t always feel a strong reason to turn out and vote.
Using impeachment to rally Trump’s base
Republican operatives believe one way to get Trump’s supporters to vote in 2026 is to highlight the threat of a new impeachment. If Democrats win control of the House, they could try to impeach Trump for a third time.
The GOP’s message to Trump’s fans is simple: If you want to protect Trump from being impeached again, vote Republican. This idea will be the “subtext” of their campaign efforts—even if it’s not always said outright.
A senior Republican strategist explained that impeachment is a powerful motivator. John McLaughlin, a pollster who works with Trump, agrees. He says Trump’s voters are currently “happy and complacent”, so the party needs to energise them by reminding them what’s at stake.
“If we don’t succeed, Democrats will start persecuting President Trump again,” McLaughlin said. “They would go for impeachment.”
Why democrats are avoiding impeachment talk
On the other side, Democrats see impeachment as a losing issue for their 2026 campaigns. They have tried it twice before, and it hasn’t stopped Trump politically.
Despite two impeachment trials and multiple criminal indictments after Trump lost the 2020 election, he stayed politically strong enough to win again in 2024. This has made Democratic leaders cautious.
Some Democrats worry impeachment could actually help Trump by making him look like a victim or a martyr. Bob Brady, a former congressman and Philadelphia Democratic Party chairman, said, “You’ve got to be careful: You’re liable to make him a martyr.”
Instead, Democrats want to focus on issues that voters care about most — like the rising cost of living. Rep. Suzan DelBene, who leads the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, said the party’s main focus is “what are you doing to lower costs?”
Rep. Jamie Raskin, who led the impeachment effort over the January 6 Capitol attack, put it bluntly: “We’ve already impeached him twice… that’s not a complete solution.” He says Democrats are focusing on fighting Trump’s policies rather than impeachment itself.
Republicans see impeachment as inevitable
Despite Democratic caution, Republicans are convinced Democrats will try to impeach Trump again if they win the House.
Steven Cheung, a White House communications director, accused Democrats of being “moronic” for not learning from past mistakes. He said they are obsessed with “destroying this country” because of what he calls “Trump Derangement Syndrome”.
Republicans admit impeachment can’t realistically succeed in the Senate, where a two-thirds vote is needed to convict. But they argue that even an impeachment effort would be a major distraction, stopping the administration from passing laws in the second half of Trump’s term.
Senator Lindsey Graham, a Trump ally, said, “Yeah, impeachment is a concern for the president, and it’s a concern for all of us.”
A Republican strategist involved in Senate races added that Democrats focusing on impeachment could mean “the administration won’t be able to get anything done for the American people.”
How the GOP plans to use impeachment in campaigns
Republican campaigns will likely use mailings, texts, and other messaging to remind voters about the impeachment threat. This strategy aims to motivate voters who might otherwise skip the midterms.
Trump himself has used this tactic before. In 2018, ahead of midterms, he warned his supporters in Montana that if he was impeached, “it’s your fault, because you didn’t get out to vote.”
Back then, Democrats did win the House, but Republicans kept the Senate.
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Democrats’ mixed moves on impeachment so far
Since Trump’s return to office, Democrats have shown some interest in impeachment but have been cautious. For example, in May, Democratic leaders stopped Rep. Shri Thanedar from pushing impeachment over a variety of charges against Trump.
More recently, Rep. Al Green forced a vote on impeachment for Trump’s military actions in Iran, but the measure failed with Democratic leaders helping to block it.
Democratic pollsters see impeachment as a potential motivator
Some Democrats believe the party is too afraid to fully use impeachment as a tool. Pollsters say impeachment could help energise voters who are unhappy with Trump but feel powerless.
Celinda Lake, a Democratic pollster, said many voters feel that Democrats “aren’t doing anything” about Trump, so impeachment could give them hope that something is being done.
A survey from late May by Research Collaborative, a progressive group, showed 86% of likely voters who dislike Trump want articles of impeachment introduced.
Tara Buss, senior research director at the group, said, “Voters want Democrats to stand up and fight. They feel under attack and impeachment is quite literally the only constitutional remedy.”
What this means for the 2026 midterms
The 2026 midterms will be critical. Republicans hope to use the threat of impeachment to get Trump’s base out to vote, which could help them keep control of Congress.
Meanwhile, Democrats want to focus on everyday concerns like the economy, but may have a tougher time motivating voters without the passion that impeachment discussions can create.
Ultimately, impeachment is likely to be a shadow theme in the election — something both parties will think about, talk about, and use to shape voter turnout.
Whether Trump will actually be impeached again depends on which party controls the House, how motivated voters feel, and how both sides play their cards in this high-stakes political game.
