Politics

Fear of Losing the Midterms Is Driving Trump’s Decisions

The specter of investigations and impeachment has fueled many of the president’s most dramatic actions.

First published in The Atlantic on September 8, 2025

by Jonathan Lemire, The Atlantic

September 11, 2025 | reading time: 9 Min.

Few things make President Donald Trump angrier than the memory of his two impeachments. Despite his return to the White House this year, he frequently complains privately and publicly about Democrats’ efforts to remove him from office in his first term. Trump, to this day, insists that he did nothing wrong, calling both impeachments “witch hunts.”