Democrats File 13 Articles of Impeachment Against Trump -- Dead on Arrival in GOP Congress

Connecticut Democrat John Larson filed 13 articles of impeachment against Donald Trump on April 6, alleging high crimes and misdemeanors across a sweeping range of conduct -- from military actions in Iran, Venezuela, and Gaza to deployment of the National Guard in American cities to systematic abuse of the presidential pardon power.

The resolution is going nowhere. Republicans control both chambers of Congress, and impeachment requires a simple House majority followed by a two-thirds Senate vote to convict and remove. That math does not exist, and Larson knows it.

"Donald Trump has blown past every requirement to be removed from office. And it's getting worse," Larson said in a statement. "His illegal war in Iran is not only driving up prices for American families -- it has cost American lives. He's becoming more unstable by the day."

Larson specifically cited Trump's Easter Sunday posts threatening Iran, including one that warned "a whole civilization will die" and another demanding the country "open the Strait...or you'll be living in hell." Those threats, Larson argued, "not only foreshadow war crimes, but put our security at risk."

White House spokesperson Davis Ingle dismissed the effort as "pathetic," claiming Democrats have been "talking about impeaching President Trump since before he was even sworn into office." Ingle called congressional Democrats "deranged, weak, and ineffective."

Third Time's the Charm?

Trump has already been impeached twice -- more than any president in American history. Both times, the Senate acquitted him.

In December 2019, the House impeached Trump for abuse of power and obstruction of Congress related to pressuring Ukraine to investigate Joe Biden. The Senate acquitted in February 2020, with only Mitt Romney breaking Republican ranks to vote for conviction.

In January 2021, the House impeached Trump again for incitement of insurrection following the January 6 attack on the Capitol. Ten House Republicans voted to impeach -- only two remain in office, and one is retiring. The Senate trial occurred after Trump left office, and while a majority voted to convict (57-43), it fell short of the two-thirds threshold. Seven Republicans crossed party lines that time.

Because Trump was acquitted, there was no vote to bar him from holding office again -- a fact that has proven consequential.

A Pattern of Impunity

Larson is not the first Democrat to introduce impeachment resolutions since Trump returned to office, but none have gained traction even within the Democratic caucus. The efforts face not just Republican opposition but also Democratic ambivalence about pursuing a remedy with no realistic path to success.

The 25th Amendment -- which allows the Cabinet and vice president to remove a president deemed unfit -- has also been floated in response to Trump's recent Iran threats. That option is even less likely than impeachment, requiring the very officials Trump appointed to turn against him.

Only three presidents have ever been impeached: Andrew Johnson in 1868, Bill Clinton in 1998, and Trump twice in his first term. All were acquitted. The historical record suggests impeachment functions more as a political statement than an accountability mechanism when the president's party controls the Senate.

Larson's resolution will likely die in committee, never receiving a floor vote. Trump will remain in office. And the question of what happens when a president commits impeachable offenses but faces a co-partisan Congress will remain unanswered -- or rather, answered by inaction.

The articles of impeachment are public. The evidence is public. The threats are public. What is missing is the political will to act on any of it.