Trump Addresses GOP Retreat, Links Midterm Success to Avoiding Impeachment

Midterm Warning to Republicans

President Donald Trump addressed a House Republican retreat at The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington on Tuesday, January 6, 2026. During his remarks, President Trump cautioned Republican members of Congress that a failure to win the upcoming midterm elections could lead to his impeachment. He stated, "You got to win the midterms because if we don't win the midterms, it's just going to be — I mean, they'll find a reason to impeach me. I'll get impeached."

Prior Impeachments Referenced

President Trump had previously been impeached twice during his first term. In 2019, he faced charges of abuse of power and obstruction of Congress related to allegations of pressuring Ukraine's president regarding the 2020 election. His second impeachment occurred in 2021, following the January 6 Capitol attack, with lawmakers charging him with incitement of insurrection. He was acquitted by the Senate in both instances. On Tuesday, which marked the five-year anniversary of the Jan. 6 attack, President Trump characterized these past events by stating, "I got impeached twice on nothing."

Party Strategy and House Majority

Looking ahead to the 2026 elections, President Trump expressed his belief that Republican policies are superior to those of the Democratic Party. He also noted the historical tendency for the sitting president's party to experience challenges in midterm elections. He criticized former Democratic presidents and their policies, stating, "They had the worst president, did the worst job. They had the worst policy. We have to even run against these people." He further remarked, "Now, I won't say cancel the election, they should cancel the election, because the fake news will say, 'He wants the elections canceled. He's a dictator.' They always call me a dictator."

President Trump also referenced the Republican Party's narrow two-vote majority in the House of Representatives, following the death of California Republican Rep. Doug LaMalfa and the early retirement of Republican Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene on Monday. He endorsed House Speaker Mike Johnson, who was present at the event, stating, "Tougher? He’s tough as anybody in the room, actually. But you can't be tough when you have a majority of three. And now, sadly, a little bit less than that. I mean, a little bit less than that, maybe."

Policy Stances: Health Care and Abortion

With healthcare expected to be a significant issue in the upcoming elections, particularly after enhanced Affordable Care Act (ACA) subsidies expired at the end of 2025, President Trump reiterated his criticism of the ACA (also known as Obamacare). He expressed a preference for a system where funds are provided directly to Americans to enable them to purchase their own health care and insurance, stating, "Let the money go in a health care account or however you do it. Let the money go directly to the people."

Additionally, President Trump discussed the Hyde Amendment, a decades-old provision that prohibits federal funding for abortion services. He advised Republicans to be flexible on this issue, stating, "Now, you have to be a little flexible on Hyde, you know that. You got to be a little flexible. You got to work something. You've got to use ingenuity. You've got to work. We are all big fans of everything, but you've got to be flexible." Specific details regarding the nature of this requested flexibility were not provided.