Addressing Republican lawmakers at a retreat in Washington on Tuesday, Trump said: ‘You’ve got to win the midterms because, if we don’t win the midterms, they’ll find a reason to impeach me. I’ll get impeached’.
According to ABC News, Trump warned that losing control of Congress could stall his legislative agenda and expose his administration to investigations. He urged Republican lawmakers, who narrowly control the US House of Representatives, to put aside internal disagreements.
He asked party members to promote Republican policies on gender, healthcare and election integrity to voters struggling with the cost of living.
‘They say that when you win the presidency, you lose the midterm. I wish you could explain to me what the hell is going on with the mind of the public’, he added.
After the 2024 elections, the Republican Party retains control of the House of Representatives, continuing their majority from the previous term. Republicans currently hold 219 seats while the Democrats have 213. Three seats remain vacant following the deaths of two Democrats – Rep. Raúl Grijalva (Arizona) and Sylvester Turner (Texas) – and the resignation of Republican Mark Green (Tennessee).
The slim margin indicates a narrowly divided House, where coalition-building and bipartisan cooperation will be critical for passing legislation.
In the Senate, the Republicans have the majority with 53 seats to the Democrats’ 47 seats, including two independents who align with Democrats.
This majority gives Senate Republicans the power to shape committee assignments and control over the Senate’s agenda, including budgetary and policy discussions that could have wide-ranging impact on industries from health care to energy. Staying informed about who leads the Senate’s key committees is essential to understand and influence policy direction.
At the retreat on Tuesday, Trump made only a brief reference to inflation, saying the problem was inherited from the Democrats. He said Republicans should campaign on gains in the US stock market.
The retreat was held at the John F. Kennedy Centre for the Performing Arts. In a largely unscripted speech lasting more than an hour, Trump repeated several disputed claims, including that Washington had recorded no homicides for months.
He predicted that Republicans would deliver an “epic midterm victory” and complained about party members he said were unwilling to fall into line.
Every seat in the House and one-third of the Senate will be contested in November 2026. No sitting US president has avoided losing House seats in the midterms since George W. Bush in 2006.
Trump urged Republicans to counter Democrats’ messaging on healthcare, including calls to extend subsidies linked to Obamacare.
He said: ‘All of these issues are very important issues, but you can own healthcare. Figure it out’.
He said that Conservative members should show flexibility over provisions such as the Hyde Amendment, which restricts federal funding for abortion.
Trump was impeached twice during his first term but was acquitted by the Senate on both occasions. ‘I got impeached twice on nothing’, he said.
Some House Democrats have introduced articles of impeachment against Trump in his second term, allegations the White House denies.
Trump said that the Republicans’ slim majority in the House limits the authority of Speaker Mike Johnson.
‘You can’t be tough when you have a majority of three’, he said.
Trump has pushed to expand executive powers on immigration, military action and regulation, moves that could soon face scrutiny from the Supreme Court.
