Representative Steve Cohen introduced 26 articles of impeachment against President Donald Trump on September 24, renewing a Trump impeachment push after the House had rejected a separate effort nine days earlier. Cohen, a Tennessee Democrat and senior member of the House Judiciary Committee, said his oath compelled him to act.
The resolution spans allegations tied to immigration, military power, spending, tariffs, pardons, the federal workforce, universities, law firms, the media and personal financial benefit. Cohen said, "I took an independent oath to support and defend the Constitution," and added, "That commitment compels me to introduce this resolution today."
Steve Cohen and 26 articles
Cohen's filing is broad even by impeachment standards. The first article accuses Trump of undermining democracy by sowing doubt in elections, while the second alleges an abuse of power by waging war on Iran without congressional approval.
Other articles target alleged extrajudicial killings in international waters off Venezuela, the deployment of military forces against U.S. cities, the birthright citizenship executive order and the administration's use of the Alien Enemies Act to deport Kilmar Abrego Garcia to El Salvador. The resolution also makes allegations about conditions at El Salvador's CECOT prison and about defying court orders in immigration enforcement.
House vote on September 15
The earlier clash came on September 15, when the House tabled Representative Al Green's impeachment resolution in a 232-147 vote. Eighteen Democrats joined nearly all Republicans in that vote, and 47 lawmakers voted present.
House Democratic leaders Hakeem Jeffries, Katherine Clark and Pete Aguilar were among those who voted present. That split shows why Cohen's filing lands inside a divided caucus rather than behind a unified party line.
What Cohen's filing targets
Several articles accuse Trump of unlawfully withholding congressionally appropriated funds, imposing loyalty tests on the federal workforce, improperly terminating inspectors general and abusing presidential pardon powers. Two articles accuse him of attacking press freedom, including by excluding reporters from the White House over coverage and by allegedly coercing CBS and ABC to alter editorial content.
Those press-freedom allegations come amid a legal battle over Trump's banishing of, MS NOW and Politico reporters from the White House. The final article says he violated the Constitution's emoluments provisions by profiting personally and directly from the presidency.
The House has not been described as taking up Cohen's articles yet, so the practical question is whether any member will move them beyond introduction. For now, the filing stands as a new impeachment demand without a scheduled House vote attached to it.
