President Trump on Tuesday stressed the importance of Republicans keeping control of the House in the November midterms, warning GOP lawmakers that if they lose, he’ll be impeached for a third time.
“You’ve got to win the midterms,” Mr. Trump said at the House Republican retreat, a daylong event at the Trump Kennedy Center. “If we don’t win the midterms…they’ll find a reason to impeach me. I’ll get impeached.”
But the president also acknowledged that it is likely that his party will lose seats and possibly the House, citing historical trends. Out of the past 22 midterm House elections, the party holding the White House has lost 20.
Republicans currently hold a narrow majority in the House with 218 Republicans to 213 Democrats and four vacant seats, including the one previously held by Rep. Doug LaMalfa, California Republican, who died on Tuesday.
“So, whether it’s Republican or Democrat, whoever wins the presidency, the other party wins the midterm. And it doesn’t make sense because we’ve had the most successful year probably in history,” Mr. Trump said.
Calls for Mr. Trump’s impeachment have grown since he ordered a military operation in which the U.S. removed Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro from power and transported him to New York to face narco-terrorism charges. Democrats have accused Mr. Trump of violating the law, saying he failed to notify Congress, and of invading a sovereign nation.
Rep. April McClain Delaney, Maryland Democrat, called for the Democrat caucus to “immediately consider impeachment proceedings” against Mr. Trump in response to the military action.
“Over the weekend, we saw the president – without authorization or approval from Congress, as required by our Constitution – launch an attack on Venezuela and voice his intention to ‘run’ the country,” she said, claiming Republican lawmakers are “allowing Trump to defy the rule of law.”
Rep. Della C. Ramirez, Illinois Democrat, described Mr. Maduro’s capture as a “kidnapping” and insisted the operation was “illegal” and amounted to “dangerous violations of international and U.S. law.” She has also called for Mr. Trump’s impeachment.
The president’s core message to the House Republicans was that only a midterm victory can prevent his impeachment. He recounted his two impeachments during his first term.
In those cases, he was acquitted both times. In 2019, he was impeached on abuse of power charges for a phone call he made to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and second impeachment was on incitement of insurrection charges for his role in the Jan. 6, 2021 attack at the U.S. Capitol.
“They impeached a president who did a damn good job,” Mr. Trump said of himself. “I rebuilt our military, space force. I did a lot. They impeached me for nothing.”
“We should have impeached Joe Biden for 100 different things. They are mean and smart,” he said of Democrats. “But fortunately for you, they have horrible policy.”
The president spent much of his 72-minute speech cracking jokes and touting his legislative accomplishments, urging House lawmakers to run on his record by highlighting his accomplishments and the issues he’s championed.
Mr. Trump listed keeping biological men out of women’s sports, healthcare reform, cracking down on illegal immigration and the tax cuts extended under his One Big Beautiful Bill tax and immigration package, as among the benefits they should highlight to voters.
“You have so much ammunition. All you have to do is sell,” Mr. Trump told the crowd.
