2:05President Donald Trump speaks to a House Republican retreat at The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts on January 6, 2026, in Washington. Alex Wong/Getty Images
President Donald Trump cautioned Republican lawmakers on Tuesday that if they fail to secure victories in this year’s midterm elections, he will be "impeached."
Trump made these remarks during a House GOP retreat at the Kennedy Center, which has recently been renamed to include his name by a board populated with his appointees.
"You must win the midterms because if we don't win the midterms, it's just going to be — I mean, they'll create a reason to impeach me. I'll get impeached," the president stated.
Trump faced impeachment twice during his initial term. In 2019, he was impeached on charges of abuse of power and obstruction of Congress for allegedly pressuring Ukraine’s president to interfere in the 2020 election. The second impeachment occurred during his final days in office after the assault on the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021, with legislators accusing him of incitement of insurrection. Trump was acquitted by the Senate on both occasions.
"I was impeached twice for no reason," Trump contended on Tuesday, marking the five-year anniversary of the January 6 attack.
President Donald Trump speaks to a House Republican retreat at The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts on January 6, 2026, in Washington. Alex Wong/Getty Images
With the 2026 elections approaching, President Trump expressed his belief that Republican policies are superior to those of the Democratic Party but acknowledged the challenges that the president’s party often encounters in a midterm election cycle.
"They say that when you win the presidency, you lose the midterm. So, you're all intelligent people. Most of you have been in this field longer than I have. That makes me smarter than you, because look where I am, right? No, it doesn't. But I wish you could clarify what the public is thinking. Because we have the correct policy. They don't. Their policy is terrible. They do stand united," Trump remarked.
"They had the worst president and executed the worst job. They had the worst policy. We even have to compete against these individuals. Now, I won't say cancel the election; they should cancel the election, because the fake news will claim, 'He wants the elections canceled. He's a dictator.' They always label me as a dictator," Trump continued while criticizing former Democratic presidents.
In his statements, Trump also referred to the GOP’s narrow majority in the House, which is currently a two-vote margin following the unexpected passing of California Republican Rep. Doug LaMalfa and Republican Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene’s early retirement on Monday. However, the president did offer strong support for House Speaker Mike Johnson, who was present.
"Often, they'll say, 'I wish Mike were tougher.' Tougher? He’s as tough as anyone in the room, actually. But you can't be tough with a majority of three. And now, unfortunately, it’s a little less than that. I mean, a little less than that, perhaps," Trump remarked.
Speaker of the House Mike Johnson listens as President Donald Trump speaks during the House Republican Party member retreat at the Kennedy Center in Washington on January 6, 2026. Mandel Ngan/AFP via Getty Images
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Sourse: abcnews.go.com