House Speaker Mike Johnson is warning Republicans that if Democrats reclaim the House in November, one of their first moves could be an effort to impeach President Donald Trump.
In an interview with conservative commentator Scott Jennings, the Louisiana Republican argued that Democrats are already laying the groundwork for impeachment and urged GOP voters to turn out despite polls showing Democrats with a growing advantage in the battle for control of Congress.
“It’s guaranteed, probably on the first day – first or second day,” Johnson said. “Remember, they’ve already filed articles of impeachment in this Congress. And they’re raring to go.”
Still, Johnson said he remains confident that Republicans
can hold onto their narrow House majority.
“Let’s just paint this alternative world, OK. Cause I’m convinced, Scott, we can hold this majority,” he said.
The comments come as recent polling has shown Democrats gaining momentum ahead of the Nov. 3 midterms. A Reuters/Ipsos poll released Oct. 5 found Democrats leading Republicans by 7 percentage points on the generic congressional ballot. A Cygnal poll published Oct. 7 put the Democratic advantage at 9 points.
Democrats downplay impeachment talk
While Johnson has framed impeachment as a likely outcome of a Democratic-controlled House, top Democratic leaders have sought to tamp down speculation, saying the issue is not a priority heading into the election.
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries told reporters in September that Democrats had not made any decisions about whether to pursue impeachment if they win the majority.
“We haven’t ruled anything out when it comes to all of the tools available to us to hold people accountable, and we haven’t ruled anything in,” Jeffries said. “That’s been our position. That will remain our position.”
Rep. Pete Aguilar of California, chair of the House Democratic Caucus, similarly dismissed impeachment speculation, calling it a Republican talking point rather than a central Democratic goal, according to The Hill.
“This is something, oftentimes, I think the right-wing media wants us to talk about,” Aguilar said. “But it’s not anything that is top of the agenda for House Democrats.”
Fernando Cervantes Jr. is a trending news reporter for USA TODAY. Reach him at fernando.cervantes@usatodayco.com and follow him on X @fern_cerv_.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Mike Johnson predicts Trump impeachment if Democrats win House
