After President Donald Trump announced an attack on Iran's nuclear program over the weekend, Democrats were less than thrilled. More radical members, such as Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY), even claimed that it was an impeachable offense, with she and the president going at it, including via social media posts. Rep. Al Green (D-TX), who is often ranting and raving against Trump, including when it comes to his plans to see the president impeached, actually filed articles to do with the War Powers Clause, after he had also filed unrelated articles in May. Such a plan failed on Tuesday afternoon.
House votes to kill resolution to impeach Trump over the airstrikes from Dem TX Rep Green, 344-79
— Chad Pergram (@ChadPergram) June 24, 2025
Mr. President, don’t take your anger out on me - I’m just a silly girl.
— Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@AOC) June 24, 2025
Take it out on whoever convinced you to betray the American people and our Constitution by illegally bombing Iran and dragging us into war.
It only took you 5 months to break almost every promise you made. https://t.co/77YSWUj2dc
Leading up to the impeachment vote, "Al Green" has been trending on X, as has been Trump and AOC going at it. Green’s failed effort is embarrassing enough. But it also doesn't look like there's much support for impeachment overall.
On the House side, Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) certainly have criticized Trump for actions over the weekend. This has in particular come back to haunt Pelosi as she fawned over then President Barack Obama's plans for regime change in Libya in 2011.
Yet both of these top House Democrats appear to be hesitant to go for impeachment. That even Pelosi acknowledges "Iran cannot have a nuclear weapon," which Trump has been clear and consistent about for years, reflects how Americans overall, even and including Democrats, are concerned about Iran.
Not much backup from Dems today for AOC saying Trump could be impeached over the Iran strikes.
— David Weigel (@daveweigel) June 24, 2025
“No, no, that’s a big threshold to cross,” says Nancy Pelosi. “Iran cannot have a nuclear weapon.”
From colleague Aishah Hasnie. Jeffries dodges question about Dem calls for impeachment over Iran: I think what's on a tool or a tool that's on the table right now, is to continue to demand that the administration present itself before the United States Congress and make the case…
— Chad Pergram (@ChadPergram) June 23, 2025
Both Democratic and Republican House leaders have been asked this week about responses to Trump's announcement, what had occurred since then, and congressional action, including voting on a war powers resolution from Reps. Thomas Massie (R-KY) and Ro Khanna (D-CA). While Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) was clear that a call for impeachment "is just absolute nonsense," and that Trump has authority in the matter, with the resolution not being necessary, but rather was "all politics," Jeffries danced around questions about impeachment during Monday's press briefing.
As Fox News covered:
Meanwhile, Jeffries side-stepped multiple questions on those calls for impeachment during his press conference, instead reasserting his demand that Trump officials come before Congress.
"A tool that's on the table right now is to continue to demand that the administration present itself before the United States Congress and make the case to the American people as to why this extraordinary step has been taken. That's step one," Jeffries said.
"Step two is for the War Powers Resolution, whether that's the one that has already been introduced or others that may subsequently be introduced, for those resolutions to be debated on the House floor, as should have occurred already. And then we'll see where we're at thereafter."
Pressed again on whether he was taking calls for Trump's impeachment seriously, Jeffries said, "This is a dangerous moment that we're in, and we've got to get through what's in front of us. And what's in front of us right now is the Trump administration has a responsibility to come to Congress, justify actions for which we've seen no evidence to justify its offensive strength in Iran."
Sidestepping has been a habit for Jeffries at times on key issues, including when it comes to defending Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) in March when he voted in favor of advancing a continuous resolution (CR) to avert a government shutdown. Jeffries didn't make clear he stood by his fellow New York Democrat until days later.
There's also Sen. John Fetterman (D-PA), who has made his support for Trump's actions against Iran quite clear, even calling out his fellow Democrats in the process. Just as he's gotten into it with AOC in the past when it comes to support for Israel, Fetterman went up against the far-left congresswoman over impeachment, reminding how fruitless the idea is.
“Of course, no, she knows it. I know it. We all know it," Fetterman said during a Fox News appearance on Monday. "That’s not going anywhere. And you know, he’s been impeached twice, and now he’s still our president. I think if you throw that term around, that actually diminishes what the severity of what impeachment is really reserved for."
Then there's Dan Turrentine, a former Democratic Party advisor, who posted a lengthy thread early on Saturday morning making clear that Trump's actions against Iran are "not an impeachable offense."
As that post read in full:
It was too depressing to write this last night, after we got off air, so I went to bed. But, it needs to be said by more Democrats: this was not an impeachable offense, and Trump did not need congressional approval for one precision attack under the circumstances, just as Obama did not when striking Bin Laden. Why can’t our Party just say it’s great we achieved the objective and destroyed Iran’s nuclear sites, god bless the soldiers who carried this out and made it home safely, god bless our country, military, allies, and we look forward to a full intel briefing. . If one must then assert Congressional authority at the moment, add that any escalation will require congressional approval. And if you must, express concern for where this may go and what might come next.
But, for so many in my Party to knee jerk with unhinged calls for impeachment - and sadly omit in their statement support for Iran not having nuclear weapons, which has been a principle of our Party for 40 years -is truly TDS.
Other posts in his thread called out Schumer for taking so long to release a statement, though it's worth reminding the minority leader also came under fire earlier this month for claiming over social media that Trump would back down on Iran.