President frames November elections as a critical shield against Democratic retaliation, while navigating fissures within his own party.
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump delivered a stark warning to House Republicans at a closed-door retreat on Tuesday, declaring that the party must secure victory in the upcoming midterm elections or face his certain impeachment by Democrats.
“You gotta win the midterms ‘cause, if we don’t win the midterms, it’s just gonna be — I mean, they’ll find a reason to impeach me,” Trump told lawmakers at the Kennedy Center, a Washington performing arts venue recently renamed to include his name. “I’ll get impeached.”
The president framed the November contests — in which all House seats and a third of the Senate are up for grabs — as a referendum not only on his agenda but on his political survival. He called for a disciplined, unified front in selling his policies to a public grappling with inflation and cost-of-living pressures, citing issues from healthcare and election integrity to gender politics.
“They say that when you win the presidency, you lose the midterm,” Trump acknowledged, referencing a historical trend that has bedeviled sitting presidents for decades. “I wish you could explain to me what the hell’s going on with the mind of the public.” Despite this, he predicted an “epic” Republican victory in November.
Trump’s appeal for cohesion comes amid flickering signs of congressional independence from a party that has largely deferred to him since his return to power. House Republicans have ceded significant legislative authority to the administration on spending and executive matters, yet are now testing their footing in isolated acts of defiance.
This week, the House is set to vote on whether to override Trump’s recent veto of a water projects bill affecting Colorado and Utah. While it remains uncertain whether the measure will secure the required two-thirds majority, the move signals a willingness among some Republicans to break ranks on regionally sensitive issues.
The specter of impeachment has trailed Trump throughout his presidency. During his previous term (2017–2021), he was twice impeached by a Democratic-led House — first for abuse of power regarding Ukraine, and later for incitement of insurrection following the January 6, 2021, Capitol riot. On both occasions, he was acquitted by the Republican-controlled Senate.
Now, with Democrats energised and historically high stakes for both parties, Trump is seeking to transform his personal political vulnerabilities into a rallying cry for Republican turnout. His message underscores a broader strategy: to frame the midterms not merely as a policy battle, but as a defensive stand against what he describes as a weaponized political system.
“We win, they lose — it’s that simple,” Trump added. “But if we get complacent, they’ll come after me, and they’ll come after every one of you next.”
As the election season intensifies, Trump’s warning highlights the deeply personal stakes he has attached to the GOP’s performance — ensuring that the battle for Congress will also serve as a proxy war over his future.
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