Former Vice President Mike Pence stated it is “very likely” that Democrats will try to impeach President Donald Trump if they take control of Congress in this year’s midterm elections. He echoed Trump’s recent warnings to Republicans about the importance of the November vote.
Pence shared his views during an interview on CNN’s The Source with Kaitlan Collins. Collins asked him if he agreed with Trump that Democrats would pursue another impeachment if they regain the House and possibly the Senate.
“Well, I think it’s very likely,” Pence said. “They impeached the President for a phone call when we were in office. I expect the same in this highly divided political climate.”
Trump has raised similar concerns recently as he rallies Republicans ahead of the midterms. Speaking to House Republicans at a party event on Tuesday, Trump warned that if the party loses the midterms, “I’ll get impeached,” according to Reuters. Trump, who was impeached twice during his first term and acquitted both times by the Senate, has framed the midterm campaign as a test of whether Republicans can defend his agenda and avoid investigations led by Democrats.
Pence’s comments come nearly five years after the January 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol, which has strained his relationship with Trump. In the weeks before Congress certified the 2020 election results, Trump repeatedly claimed Pence had the power to reject state electoral votes, a claim that Pence and legal experts dismissed. The certification went ahead, and during the attack, rioters chanted threats against Pence.
During the CNN interview, Pence also spoke about a White House statement that blamed Capitol Police for the violence on January 6 while accusing Pence of doing nothing. Pence called it “very offensive” for the White House to use government resources to promote that view.
Concerns about impeachment have surfaced amid a struggle over congressional power and executive actions early in Trump’s second term. Democrats have criticized several actions by the administration and indicated they would increase oversight if they regain majorities. Reuters reported that some House Democrats have already introduced new impeachment articles related to alleged abuses of power.
Trump’s advisors have worked to keep Republicans united around a narrow House majority and a Senate map that party strategists view as competitive. In his remarks to House Republicans this week, Trump urged lawmakers to focus on issues like crime, inflation, and cultural disputes while warning that Democratic control would lead to investigations and renewed impeachment efforts.
Pence did not specify the reasons Democrats might use for impeachment, but he mentioned Trump’s first-term impeachment concerning his pressure on Ukraine. The House impeached Trump in 2019 after he asked Ukraine’s president to launch investigations that would have helped him politically; the Senate later acquitted him.
The midterm elections will determine control of the House and part of the Senate, as well as many governorships and state offices. Control of the House is expected to be crucial for impeachment proceedings, which must begin there under the Constitution before any trial in the Senate.
Pence, who has been trying to restore his political standing since leaving office, has criticized Trump’s actions surrounding January 6 and has repeatedly warned about the long-term effects of challenging the peaceful transfer of power.
His recent comments align him with Trump regarding the likelihood of impeachment if Democrats win, even as he continues to criticize the White House’s response to January 6.
