Third Trump Impeachment Would Be About 'Setting a Standard,' Ro Khanna Says on NBC

Democratic Rep. Ro Khanna said a third impeachment of President Donald Trump should not be ruled out if Democrats win control of the House in November, arguing on NBC's 'Meet the Press' on Sunday that the issue was about constitutional standards rather than Trump personally.

Moderator Kristen Welker raised comments from Democratic Sen. Tammy Duckworth, who had urged her party to focus on governing rather than another confrontation with Trump.

In a clip played during the programme, Duckworth said, 'Don't be impeaching anybody. Let's just get back to work.' Asked directly whether impeaching Trump for a third time would be a mistake, Khanna rejected the suggestion.

'The point is to stand up for the Constitution,' Khanna said, later adding, 'It's about setting a standard.' Trump, the 45th and 47th US president, is serving his second, nonconsecutive term.

Trump Impeachment Argument Centres on Constitutional Limits

Khanna cited several areas that he said illustrated why impeachment should remain available if Democrats gain control of the House.

He described U.S. military action involving Iran as an 'illegal war' undertaken without what he regarded as constitutionally required approval.

The description was Khanna's legal and political characterisation, not a finding by a court or Congress that Trump had committed an impeachable offence.

Khanna also criticised the firing of federal employees 'in defiance of what Congress says' and referred to deals with foreign governments that he alleged could enrich Trump's family.

His remarks presented those claims as part of his impeachment argument rather than as established judicial or congressional findings. His position on Iran follows an earlier congressional effort.

In June 2025, Khanna and Republican Rep. Thomas Massie co-led a bipartisan War Powers Resolution seeking to prohibit unauthorised U.S. hostilities against Iran.

Khanna argued that impeachment would not have to displace a domestic policy agenda. He said Democrats could pursue constitutional accountability while advancing a first-100-days programme addressing the cost of living, child care, the minimum wage and paid family leave.

Khanna represents California's 17th Congressional District. House records list him as a member of the Armed Services Committee, the Oversight and Government Reform Committee and the Select Committee on the Strategic Competition Between the United States and the Chinese Communist Party.

Trump Impeachment Debate Shows Democratic Differences

Khanna's comments contrast with Duckworth's call to prioritise governing if Democrats regain control of the House.

House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries has taken a noncommittal position on impeachment. In a 13 September interview, Jeffries said Democrats had 'not ruled anything in' and had 'not ruled anything out.'

He said Democrats on the Judiciary and Oversight committees would lead accountability efforts while following the facts, the law, and the Constitution.

Rep. Jamie Raskin is the ranking member of the House Judiciary Committee, while Rep. Robert Garcia is the ranking member of the Oversight and Government Reform Committee.

Congressional investigations and impeachment are separate processes. Oversight can include hearings, document requests and subpoenas without resulting in articles of impeachment, while impeachment requires action by the House.

Trump was impeached twice by the House during his first term. The Senate found him not guilty after his first impeachment trial on 5 February 2020, and again after his second trial on 13 February 2021.

Rep. Al Green has also pursued impeachment during Trump's second term. On 15 September, the House voted 232-147 to table Green's H.Res. 1486, with 47 members voting present. Eighteen Democrats joined 213 Republicans and one independent in voting to table the measure.

The debate comes ahead of the 2026 midterm elections. The House has 435 voting seats, whose members serve two-year terms, and the next regularly scheduled federal general election is set for 3 November.