A lame-duck House Democrat just handed the party a pre-packaged blueprint for targeting President Trump if they retake the House in November.
Representative Steve Cohen (D-TN) introduced 26 articles of impeachment against President Donald Trump on Thursday, signaling that Democrats are preparing to unleash aggressive impeachment proceedings the moment they reclaim the speaker’s gavel.
The sprawling resolution targets nearly every pillar of Trump’s second-term agenda — military operations off Venezuela, federal law enforcement deployments to sanctuary cities, executive orders ending birthright citizenship, and mass deportation policies.
“TRUMP IS CLEARLY THE MOST IMPEACHABLE PRESIDENT OUR COUNTRY HAS EVER ENDURED. HIS CONTINUED PRESENCE IN OFFICE IS A DANGER TO OUR DEMOCRACY.”
Cohen framed the resolution as a roadmap for the incoming 120th Congress, warning that a shift in power will immediately trigger a constitutional showdown.
While the measure has zero chance of moving in the current Republican-controlled House, Cohen openly admitted this is the plan for January if Democrats win in November.
The House voted 232-147 on September 15 to shelve Representative Al Green’s (D-TX) impeachment motions — nine days before Cohen’s blueprint dropped.
Cohen’s 26 articles break down by category:
Elections & Democratic Integrity:
- Article I: Undermining Democracy — Sowing Doubt in Elections
Military & Foreign Operations:
- Article II: Waging War on Iran Without Congressional Approval
- Article III: Extrajudicial Killings in International Waters of Venezuela
- Article IV: Deploying Military Forces Against United States Cities
Immigration & Civil Rights:
- Article V: Birthright Citizenship Executive Order
- Article VIII: Disregard of Courts involving the Alien Enemies Act and Kilmar Abrego Garcia
- Article IX: Cruel and Unusual Punishment at CECOT detention facilities
- Article XII: Defying Court Orders in Immigration Enforcement
Executive Power & Agency Control:
- Article VI: Canceling Federal Grants to Punish States for Their Votes
- Article VII: Imposing Loyalty Tests on the Federal Workforce
- Article X: Unlawful Withholding of Appropriated Funds and Dismantling Congressionally Established Programs
- Article XI: Obstructing the Lawful Appointment of United States Attorneys
- Article XIII: Abolishing a Congressionally Mandated Agency (The Department of Education)
- Article XIV: Mass Termination of Inspectors General Without Statutory Notice
- Article XXIV: Illegal Impoundment of Appropriated Funds
Economic & Financial Authority:
- Article XV: Unilaterally Taxing U.S. Citizens Through Emergency Powers Tariffs
- Article XVII: IRS Settlement and Corruption of the Judgment Fund
Justice Department & Executive Clemency:
- Article XVI: Political Prosecutions of James Comey, Letitia James, and Adam Schiff
- Article XVIII: Corrupt Use of the Pardon Power
Free Press & Speech Restrictions:
- Article XIX: Banishing Reporters from the White House over Disfavored Coverage
- Article XX: Coercing CBS and ABC to Change Editorial Content
- Article XXI: Retaliatory Executive Orders Against Law Firms
- Article XXII: Coercing Universities Through Withheld Federal Funds
Ethics, Infrastructure, & Emoluments:
- Article XXIII: Demolishing the White House East Wing Without Congressional Approval
- Article XXV: Self-Aggrandizement through Renaming Public Institutions, Seizure of Civic Property, and Personal Appropriation of National Currency
- Article XXVI: Emoluments Violations — Profiting Personally and Directly from the Presidency
Cohen serves on the House Judiciary Committee and openly stated his intention:
“I SINCERELY BELIEVE THAT THE 120TH CONGRESS WILL BETTER LIVE UP TO ITS DUTIES AS CO-EQUAL BRANCH OF GOVERNMENT AND A CHECK ON THE EXECUTIVE. I HOPE THIS RESOLUTION PAVES THE WAY TO ACCOUNTABILITY.”
By laying down a 26-count indictment against the Trump presidency, Cohen delivered far more than a symbolic protest — he provided the legislative architecture for Democrats to challenge the White House at every constitutional front.
If voters deliver the House gavel to Democrats in November, this sprawling document ensures day one of the 120th Congress will not be spent drafting a new oversight strategy, but executing a pre-packaged blueprint designed to attack the White House immediately.
The irony? Cohen won’t even be in Congress come January. In May, Breitbart News reported that Cohen ended his bid for re-election after redistricting efforts made his re-election unlikely.
GOP leadership will almost certainly push these articles into procedural limbo — just as they did with Green’s earlier attempt. But the resolution serves its true purpose: a rallying cry for the Democratic base and an explicit threat of what lies ahead if they win the midterms.
