Trump faces impeachment? Showdown looms

Midterm elections results Senate: US presidnet Donald Trump could face a third impeachment after Democrats won control of both chambers of Congress in the November 3 midterm elections, giving the party greater power to investigate his administration and challenge his agenda.The prospect gained attention as prediction-market odds climbed sharply following the Democratic victories. However, party leaders have not committed to launching impeachment proceedings, and a House vote alone would not be enough to remove Trump from office.According to Newsweek, Polymarket put the odds of Trump being impeached by the end of 2027 at 20% at 1:30 p.m. ET on Tuesday. By 4:38 a.m. ET on Wednesday, November 4, the figure had risen to 49%.Kalshi also recorded an increase, with the odds of the House impeaching Trump before July 1, 2027, climbing from 43.8% at 3 a.m. ET on November 3 to 65% by 4:38 a.m. ET the following morning.Democrats' midterm victory puts Trump under pressureThe election marked a major setback for Republicans, with voters expressing frustration over high prices, the Iran war and concerns about government corruption.Democrats secured 218 House seats after 367 of the 435 races had been called as of Wednesday morning, as per a Newsweek report. In the Senate, the party won seats in Maine, Ohio, Iowa, Kansas, North Carolina, South Carolina and Texas. Races in Alaska and Mississippi remained too close to call.The results also pointed to a shift among younger voters and Latino voters, weakening parts of the coalition that returned Trump to the White House.Control of both chambers gives Democrats greater authority to scrutinize the administration and challenge Trump's legislative agenda. It also gives them the ability to advance impeachment articles through the House without needing Republican votes, provided they secure a simple majority.135540005135512200Ted Cruz expects Democrats to pursue impeachmentRepublican Senator Ted Cruz expects Democrats to use their new House majority to target Trump with investigations and potentially another impeachment.On the All-In Podcast, presented by Polymarket, Cruz predicted two years of impeachment efforts, subpoenas and investigations involving Trump, his family and members of his Cabinet. He said, "I think we will also see two years of relentless impeachment. I believe the House will impeach Donald Trump if they have the House. They may impeach him multiple times," adding, "We will see subpoenas. We will see investigations. I think they will go after President Trump. I think they will go after his family. I think they will go after cabinet members," as quoted by Newsweek.Republican House Majority Leader Steve Scalise also highlighted that he expects Democrats to launch impeachment proceedings on the first day if they win control of the chamber.However Democratic leaders have not made such a commitment yet. As House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries said in September that, “We haven’t ruled anything in, and we haven't ruled anything out,” as quoted in the report.What could Democrats investigate before impeaching TrumpDemocrats have identified several areas they want to examine through congressional oversight.As representative Robert Garcia, the most senior Democrat on the House Oversight Committee, indicated that the party plans to investigate the Trump family's business interests, also the Epstein files, federal conduct during immigration enforcement, corporate profiteering and Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s vaccine policies.The Washington Post also reported that Democrats planned to investigate defense technology, manufacturing and mining companies linked to the Trump administration, citing nearly a dozen congressional staffers, political lobbyists, lawyers, investors and executives.Whether any of these investigations leads to impeachment remains uncertain. Newsweek reported that Democrats would have to decide whether proceeding was advantageous if they concluded that the issues warranted formal charges.The White House has criticized the prospect of Democratic-led investigations. Spokeswoman Lauren Bis told Newsweek that Democrats were focused on what she described as a political campaign against Trump rather than improving Americans' lives.135510796Trump survived 2 impeachment attempts during his first termThe US president was impeached twice during his first presidency. But the Senate acquitted him in both cases.First in 2019, the House approved articles accusing him of abuse of power & obstruction of Congress over his dealings with Ukraine. Trump denied wrongdoing. And the Senate acquitted him on both charges on February 5, 2020.Then in January 2021, House impeached Trump for incitement of insurrection which was following the January 6 attack on US Capitol. Ten Republicans joined Democrats in voting for impeachment.At the subsequent Senate trial, 57 senators voted to convict Trump and 43 voted against conviction but vote fell short of the 67 required. So Trump…