A tentative ceasefire between the United States and Iran failed to slow Democratic demands for President Trump's removal from office, with over 85 House members calling for either impeachment or invocation of the 25th Amendment as of Tuesday evening.
Trump announced the two-week ceasefire just over an hour before his stated deadline for Iran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz. The timing followed an unusually stark warning he posted earlier that day, suggesting "a whole civilization will die tonight, never to be brought back again" if the deadline passed.
The president's threat drew swift backlash from Democrats and some Republicans. Vice President J.D. Vance, despite his longstanding skepticism of military intervention, publicly defended the administration's position, saying the government possessed "tools in our toolkit that we so far haven't decided to use."
Several House Democrats formally launched removal efforts in response. Rep. John Larson of Connecticut introduced articles of impeachment on Tuesday morning citing the Iran conflict among multiple alleged violations. Meanwhile, Reps. Shri Thanedar of Michigan and Jasmine Crockett of Texas each sent letters to Vance and cabinet members requesting Trump's removal under the 25th Amendment.
Rep. Yassamin Ansari of Arizona separately announced plans to file impeachment articles against Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth for his role in the conflict.
The push came from across the Democratic caucus, with prominent progressives including Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi joining the call. However, moderate and swing-district Democrats largely refrained from removal demands, instead focusing on votes to restrict Trump's war powers.
The ceasefire did little to convince Democrats that removal efforts should cease. Rep. Melanie Stansbury of New Mexico posted on social media that "just because a President announces he's agreed to a two week ceasefire moments before he threatened to commit war crimes, does not mean he is suddenly fit to serve."
Sen. Ed Markey of Massachusetts echoed that sentiment, saying Trump "can't simply threaten war crimes with impunity" and calling for Congress to reconvene to halt military action and remove the president.
Political analysts note that successful removal efforts face virtually insurmountable odds without Republican support, which shows no signs of materializing. The real calculation appears to be Democratic: demonstrating to their base that they are exhausting every available option.
The momentum behind these removal efforts will likely diminish with the ceasefire in place, making the already steep climb toward removal even steeper. Still, Republicans view the campaign as a warning shot. Former Republican congressman and White House chief of staff Mark Meadows posted that "if the GOP doesn't hold the House, impeachment 3.0 is coming."
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