On Tuesday, June 24, 2025, the U.S. House of Representatives decisively voted to set aside an effort to impeach President Donald Trump over his recent military strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities. The vote, which ended 344-79 in favor of tabling the impeachment articles, revealed deep divisions within the Democratic Party and underscored the complex political landscape surrounding the president’s actions in the Middle East.
The impeachment attempt was spearheaded by Representative Al Green, a Democrat from Texas, who introduced articles charging Trump with abuse of power. Green argued that the president’s decision to launch airstrikes against Iran’s nuclear sites—Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan—without congressional authorization was both illegal and unconstitutional. “I do this because no one person should have the power to take over 300 million people to war without consulting with the Congress of the United States of America,” Green said ahead of the vote. “I do this because I understand that the Constitution is going to be meaningful or it’s going to be meaningless.”
Green’s move was not without precedent; he had previously filed articles of impeachment against Trump during his first administration, including charges related to obstruction of justice. The Texas congressman has been a consistent voice warning that Trump’s actions threaten to slide the country toward authoritarianism by undermining the separation of powers and usurping congressional war powers.
Despite Green’s passionate stance, the majority of House Democrats sided with Republicans to table the measure. Nearly 130 Democrats joined the Republican majority in voting against advancing the impeachment effort. The decision reflected a strategic choice by House Democratic leadership to focus on other pressing legislative matters, particularly a significant tax breaks package championed by President Trump. Rep. Pete Aguilar, chair of the House Democratic caucus, emphasized this focus, stating, “At this time, at this moment, we are focusing on what this big, ugly bill is going to do. I think anything outside of that is a distraction because this is the most important thing that we can focus on.”
The impeachment effort was sparked by the administration’s weekend bombing of Iranian nuclear facilities on June 21, 2025, a move that dramatically escalated tensions in the volatile Middle East region. The strikes came amid Iran’s ongoing conflict with Israel and were justified by the U.S. government as necessary to halt Iran’s nuclear weapons development program. However, Iranian officials have consistently maintained that their nuclear activities are for peaceful energy purposes only.
The legality of the air assault has been fiercely debated. Critics, including Green and Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York, have condemned the strikes as a violation of the War Powers Clause of the U.S. Constitution, which requires congressional approval before the president can engage in acts of war. Ocasio-Cortez described Trump’s decision as a “grave violation of the Constitution and Congressional War Powers” and declared it “absolutely and clearly grounds for impeachment.”
Trump, however, responded to such criticisms with sharp rebukes. Earlier on Tuesday, he lashed out in vulgar terms at Ocasio-Cortez, dismissing her calls for impeachment as politically motivated. The White House also issued a statement through spokesperson Taylor Rogers, praising the strikes as an unprecedented achievement. Rogers said, “President Trump was able to quickly accomplish what no other President has been able to achieve—thanks to his ‘peace through strength’ leadership, Iran’s nuclear program has been obliterated and a ceasefire has been agreed to. Eliminating the prospect of nuclear war is a non-partisan and unifying accomplishment that everyone should celebrate as a historic moment for the United States, the Middle East, and the entire world.”
The impeachment attempt comes in the context of Trump’s tumultuous political history. During his first term, he was impeached twice by House Democrats—first in 2019 over allegations related to withholding aid to Ukraine, and again in 2021 for inciting the January 6 Capitol insurrection. In both cases, the Senate acquitted him, allowing Trump to return to the presidency earlier this year.
With Republicans now holding a slim majority in the House, future impeachment efforts face significant hurdles. Many analysts believe that, at least until after the midterm elections, the political calculus will discourage Democrats from pursuing impeachment aggressively. Representative Mike Lawler, a New York Republican, argued on social media that the impeachment push was “absurd on its face,” pointing out that presidents from both parties have historically engaged in military actions without formal war declarations or congressional approval. He cited Barack Obama’s eight-month campaign in Libya in 2011 as an example of such executive authority being exercised without impeachment consequences.
The vote and ensuing debate highlight the ongoing struggle within American politics over executive power, war-making authority, and constitutional checks and balances. While the House overwhelmingly rejected the impeachment articles, the issue has sparked renewed discussions about the limits of presidential authority and the role of Congress in authorizing military action.
Representative Al Green emphasized the importance of vigilance, telling The Associated Press earlier on Tuesday, “I wanted to force the vote to show that at least one member of Congress was watching the president’s actions and working to keep the White House in check.” His effort, though unsuccessful this time, underscores the persistent tensions and divisions that continue to shape Washington’s response to the Trump presidency and its foreign policy decisions.
