Democrat files 13 articles of impeachment against Trump over Iran strikes and domestic policies

Key facts

• Rep. John Larson filed 13 articles of impeachment against President Donald Trump on April 6, 2026.
• The articles accuse Trump of 'criminal lawlessness,' including war crimes in Iran and illegal militarization of law enforcement.
• A separate impeachment resolution targeting Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth was filed by Rep. Yassamin Ansari.
• White House spokesman Davis Ingle dismissed the proposal as 'pathetic,' saying Democrats have sought impeachment since before Trump took office.
• Prediction market Kalshi showed impeachment probability at 28.7% on Monday, up from 22.1% earlier in April.
• An NBC News poll found Trump's approval rating at 37%, with 76% of voters aged 18–29 disapproving.
• Trump was impeached twice in his first term (2019 and 2021) but acquitted by the Senate both times.

Larson’s 13 articles allege high crimes and misdemeanors across multiple fronts

Representative John Larson of Connecticut filed articles of impeachment against President Donald Trump on April 6, 2026, charging him with 13 counts of high crimes and misdemeanors. The resolution, drafted with input from consumer advocate Ralph Nader and constitutional scholar Bruce Fein, accuses Trump of a 'serial usurpation of the congressional war power' and 'commission of murder, war crimes and piracy' in connection with attacks in Iran, Venezuela, and against alleged drug-running vessels in international waters. Larson also alleges that Trump illegally militarized law enforcement and surged immigration officers into U.S. cities to detain and deport individuals 'based significantly on race or ethnicity or political opposition.' The congressman stated that Trump 'has blown past every requirement to be removed from office' and that his 'illegal war in Iran is not only driving up prices for American families — it has cost American lives.'

Separate resolution targets Defense Secretary Hegseth over Iran operations

Arizona Representative Yassamin Ansari, the first Democratic member of Congress of Iranian descent, introduced a parallel impeachment resolution against Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth. Ansari accused Hegseth of 'repeatedly violating his oath of office and his duty to the Constitution,' citing 'reckless endangerment of U.S. servicemembers and repeated war crimes, including bombing a girls’ school in Minab, Iran and willfully targeting civilian infrastructure.' 'Only Congress has the power to declare war, not a rogue president or his lackeys,' Ansari said in a statement. The resolutions come amid escalating tensions with Iran, including Trump’s threat that 'a whole civilization will die' and his subsequent announcement of a two-week pause in fighting while negotiations continue.

White House dismisses effort as political theater, but prediction markets show rising odds

White House spokesman Davis Ingle called Larson’s proposal 'pathetic,' reiterating that 'Democrats have been talking about impeaching President Trump since before he was even sworn into office.' He described Democrats in Congress as 'deranged, weak, and ineffective' and pointed to their 'historic lows' in approval ratings. Despite the dismissive response, prediction market Kalshi recorded a rise in impeachment probability to 28.7% on Monday, up from 22.1% earlier in April. Right-wing commentator Alex Jones said it was 'guaranteed' that Democrats would move to impeach Trump if they regain control of the House in the midterm elections, calling the vote 'an existential crisis for the Republicans.'

Democratic skepticism and the steep path to conviction

Not all Democrats have rallied behind the impeachment push. Representative Robert Garcia noted that 'the reality is we know that Trump, regardless of any impeachment vote, is not going to get convicted by the Senate,' which requires a two-thirds majority for removal. Greg Casar questioned whether pursuing impeachment would be productive, while Pete Aguilar said the issue was not currently under discussion within the Democratic caucus. Even if the House were to pass articles of impeachment — a long shot given Republican control — conviction in the Senate would require a two-thirds vote, a threshold that has never been reached for a president. Trump was acquitted by the Senate in both his 2019 impeachment over Ukraine dealings and his 2021 impeachment for incitement of insurrection after the January 6 Capitol riot.

25th Amendment alternative and declining public support

Separately, some voices have called for Trump’s removal under the Twenty-fifth Amendment, which would require Vice President JD Vance and a majority of the cabinet to declare the president unfit for office. However, no such move has been initiated, and the White House has shown no indication of internal dissent. Recent polling underscores the political stakes. An NBC News survey found Trump’s overall approval rating at 37%, the lowest of his second term and close to his first-term low of 34%. Among voters aged 18 to 29, disapproval stood at 76%, signaling potential vulnerability in upcoming elections.

Impeachment as a political tool amid a constitutional crisis

The articles of impeachment represent the latest chapter in a long-running battle between Democrats and Trump, who has faced impeachment proceedings in each of his terms. While the current effort is almost certain to fail in a Republican-controlled Congress, it serves to document allegations of executive overreach and war crimes, and to pressure moderate Republicans ahead of the midterms. Constitutional scholar Bruce Fein, who helped draft Larson’s resolution, argued in The American Conservative that Trump’s attack on Iran 'was not in self-defense' and constituted 'a criminal war of aggression, plain and simple, including a violation of the United Nations Charter.' He urged Congress to 'do its job' and block spending and troop deployment. The coming weeks will test whether the impeachment push gains traction or remains a symbolic gesture.

The bottom line

• Rep. John Larson filed 13 articles of impeachment against Trump on April 6, 2026, citing war crimes, illegal militarization, and abuse of power.
• A separate resolution targets Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth for alleged war crimes in Iran, including bombing a girls’ school.
• The White House dismissed the effort as 'pathetic,' but prediction markets show impeachment probability rising to 28.7%.
• Democratic leaders are divided on the strategy, with some questioning its practicality given Republican control of Congress.
• Trump’s approval rating has fallen to 37%, with 76% of young voters disapproving, according to an NBC News poll.
• The 25th Amendment remains an alternative but unlikely path, requiring Vice President Vance and the cabinet to act.