The year 2026 began with a dramatic show of American power under President Donald Trump. In a move that stunned Washington and much of the world, US forces abducted Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, triggering an overnight regime change and giving the United States access to Venezuela’s vast oil reserves.
But even as Trump celebrates what his supporters describe as a geopolitical victory, the president is increasingly worried that the year could end with a serious political reckoning at home. That concern was voiced by Trump himself on Wednesday, when he warned Republican lawmakers that losing control of Congress in the November midterm elections could put his presidency in jeopardy.
“You got to win the midterms, because if we don't win the midterms, it's just going to be — I mean, they (Democrats) will find a reason to impeach me,” Trump said at a Republican retreat in Washington. He then added bluntly, “I will get impeached.”
Why impeachment fears are resurfacing
Trump’s anxiety comes amid growing unease in Washington over how the United States carried out its Venezuela operation. Lawmakers in the US Congress say they were completely blindsided, with no prior briefing or authorisation. The administration’s rhetoric has also raised alarms abroad, with Trump openly floating the possibility of similar US military interventions in Greenland and Colombia.
Those statements have drawn sharp criticism from global leaders and added fuel to Democratic accusations that Trump is bypassing constitutional limits on presidential power.
Back in Washington, calls for impeachment are once again gaining traction among Democratic lawmakers, who argue that the Venezuela action violated both US and international law and deliberately sidelined Congress.
Representative Dan Goldman of New York was among those to openly raise the stakes. “This violation of the United States Constitution is an impeachable offense,” he said.
Trump’s impeachment history
Trump is no stranger to impeachment battles. He remains the only US president to have been impeached twice by the House of Representatives.
The first impeachment came in 2019, when he was accused of pressuring Ukraine to announce an investigation into Joe Biden by withholding millions of dollars in military aid. The second followed in 2021, after the January 6 Capitol attack that erupted after Trump lost the presidential election.
On both occasions, the Senate fell short of the two-thirds majority required to convict him, allowing Trump to remain in office.
That history looms large now. Many Democrats view the upcoming midterms as a potential replay of 2018, when the party captured control of the House and used it to launch impeachment proceedings against Trump during his first term.
Why the midterms matter so much
The November midterm elections will decide all 435 seats in the House of Representatives and 35 of the 100 Senate seats. The outcome will determine who controls Congress and how much authority Trump can wield during the remainder of his term.
At present, Republicans hold a narrow House majority with 219 seats, compared to 213 for Democrats. A modest swing could flip control.
Historically, midterm elections tend to favour the party that does not hold the presidency. A survey by NBC News last year found that 50 percent of voters preferred Democratic control of Congress, while 42 percent backed Republicans.
That trend is already worrying Republicans. Last November, Democratic victories by Zohran Mamdani in New York, Abigail Spanberger in Virginia, and Mikie Sherrill in New Jersey reinvigorated the party after a difficult period following Trump’s return to the White House.
Domestic troubles add to pressure
Foreign policy controversies are not Trump’s only problem. Domestic economic issues continue to weigh heavily on voters. The NBC News survey found Americans remain deeply concerned about inflation, rising living costs, and the price of health insurance.
Trump’s approval rating has slipped to 42 percent, with disapproval at 58 percent. Particularly troubling for the president is that the sharpest decline in support has come from his own MAGA base.
Democrats have leaned heavily on affordability and cost-of-living issues in recent elections, a strategy that has already paid dividends and could shape the midterm campaign.
So can Trump actually be impeached?
Impeachment itself requires only a simple majority in the House of Representatives. If Democrats regain control, launching impeachment proceedings would be well within their reach.
Conviction, however, would still require a two-thirds vote in the Senate, a far steeper hurdle. Even so, Trump understands that impeachment alone would be politically damaging and could paralyse his presidency.
For now, Trump may be basking in his Venezuela triumph. But with economic anxiety rising, Democratic momentum growing, and the midterms approaching fast, his fear of impeachment is no longer hypothetical. A Democratic resurgence in November could turn that fear into political reality.
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