Democrats brush off Trump impeachment warning to House GOP
Plus: ICE kills Minneapolis woman, Trump requests $1.5 trillion military budget, and nine House Republicans cross party lines to set up final passage on three-year ACA premium subsidies extension.
First Things First
House Democratic Caucus Chair PETE AGUILAR (D-Calif.) on Wednesday brushed off President DONALD TRUMP’s warning to House Republicans that a Democratic House majority would impeach him again, dismissing the comment as a reflection of Trump’s self-interest rather than a governing concern. The number-three House Democrat reaffirmed that his members see oversight and accountability—not impeachment—as their constitutional obligation if they regain power.
Aguilar’s position offers an early window into how House Democratic leadership is trying to manage one of the most politically volatile questions of the 2026 cycle before it consumes the midterms.
“It says a lot about Donald Trump. He’s not concerned about the costs that people face. He’s not concerned about specific policies. It’s just about consolidating power and how it affects him,” Aguilar told me. “We’re not concerned about that. We’re going to continue to focus on how we help people.”
Aguilar’s response also signals that Democrats are intent on denying Trump the impeachment foil he is actively attempting to construct, while preserving Congress’s institutional authority to conduct oversight if power shifts. At the same time, he made the case that even though Democrats are in the minority, they’ve forced votes to release the Epstein files, extend the Affordable Care Act enhanced premium tax credits, and, later this week, override the first vetoes of President Trump’s second term.
“Those are significant wins, and we’re going to continue to keep doing that all the way through November,” Aguilar said. “And if we’re given an opportunity to lead the American people, we’ll see what that all looks like.”
