Democrats opened the door to a third Trump impeachment over Iran. Here’s what they need to happen next

A growing number of House Democrats have opened the door to impeaching President Donald Trump for his actions in the Iran War. But they face the same problem they did during the two impeachments of Trump’s first presidency: math. On Thursday, a handful of House Democrats came to Washington during a pro forma session — Congress is officially on Easter recess until next week — to try and force a vote on a War Powers Act resolution to rein in Trump’s military authority in Iran. But the House immediately gaveled out within seconds despite objections from Reps. Suhas Subramanyam, Don Beyer and James Walkinshaw of Virginia; Glenn Ivey of Maryland; Emily Randall of Washington; Madeleine Dean and Mary Gay Scanlon of Pennsylvania; and Sara Jacobs of California.“We need to end this war with a real, durable diplomatic solution,” Jacobs said on the Capitol steps afterward. “And that will only happen if our Republican colleagues get back here, stand up to this president, put a real check on his power, like the Constitution demands us to do.” U.S. Rep Sara Jacobs opened the door to impeachment of President Donald Trump if Democrats win back the House. (Getty Images for Fair Share Amer)The comment amplified the fact that Democrats do not control any branch of government — not the House, the Senate or the White House. That’s why, so far, every War Powers Act resolution has failed. “So bringing forward impeachment right now, while he is guilty of a litany of high crimes and misdemeanors,” claimed Dean, “I don't think it is a best use of our time. Let us get into the majority, let us get a Senate Majority and then hold this president to account.”Jacobs asked why Republicans are not asked about it. “They should realize that their president is putting us in harm's way, is making us less safe,” she said. “And they should also be demanding impeachment. They should also be demanding the 25th amendment.” When asked a follow-up about the potential for impeachment, Jacobs cracked the door open. “I personally think that everything should be on the table to get rid of this reckless, lawless, irresponsible president that's hurting Americans, whether that's impeachment or the 25th amendment,” Jacobs told The Independent after the press conference. Rep. Madeleine Dean (D-Penn.) served as a manager during Trump’s second impeachment. But said right now impeachment is not ‘a best use of our time’ (Copyright 2021 The Associated Press. All rights reserved)Democrats’ words reveal just how difficult impeaching a president is — by design.At the moment, Democrats have 214 House seats to the GOP’s 217. House Speaker Mike Johnson will swear in Republican Clay Fuller, who won a Georgia special election on Tuesday to replace Marjorie Taylor Greene. In a few weeks, Democrats will gain another seat when Analilia Mejia likely wins in New Jersey’s 11th district, making the tally 218-215. Republicans will also have a special election to replace the late Doug LaMalfa, raising the majority to 219-215. Rep. Kevin Kiley of California recently quit the GOP to become an independent, but caucuses with the Republicans. That means Democrats need to flip three seats to win the majority of 218. But a majority in the Senate is tougher. Democrats have 47 seats to Republicans’ 53. That means they need to flip four seats. Only one Republican represents a state Kamala Harris won in 2024: Sen. Susan Collins of Maine. Otherwise, Democrats need to flip three additional seats in either North Carolina, Alaska, Iowa or Ohio. But even if Democrats win the Senate majority and get 51 seats, the Constitution requires that two-thirds of the Senate vote to convict a president to remove him from office. That would mean 16 Republican senators would need to cross the aisle. In 2020, during Trump’s first impeachment trial, only one Republican voted to convict Trump: then-Sen. Mitt Romney of Utah. During his second conviction, only five other Republicans joined Romney and Collins to convict Trump: Sens. Ben Sasse of Nebraska, Bill Cassidy of Louisiana, Richard Burr of North Carolina, Lisa Murkowski of Alaska and Pat Toomey of Pennsylvania. Of those senators, only three — Collins, Murkowski and Cassidy — remain in office. And while Toomey was replaced by Democratic Sen. John Fetterman, Sasse, Burr and Romney were replaced by more compliant Republicans. Dean warned Senate Majority Leader John Thune not to make the same mistake as then-Republican Leader Mitch McConnell, who faulted Trump for the riot, but voted to acquit him.“You do not want to be in that same place Mr. Thune to wave a flag and allow the president to continue this,” she said.