President Donald Trump escalated his war of words with House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) on Sunday, demanding the New York Democrat's impeachment after Jeffries called the Supreme Court's conservative majority 'illegitimate' following a recent Voting Rights Act ruling.
In a Truth Social post, Trump wrote: 'Hakeem Jeffries, a Low IQ individual, said our Supreme Court is 'illegitimate.' After saying such a thing, isn't he subject to Impeachment? I got impeached for A PERFECT PHONE CALL. Where are you Republicans? Why not get it started? They'll be doing this to me!'
Jeffries fired back on X with a simple retort: 'Jeffries Derangement Syndrome,' a twist on Trump's frequent 'Trump Derangement Syndrome' label for critics.
While Trump's call for impeachment is likely rhetorical, constitutional experts note that members of Congress are not subject to impeachment under the Constitution, which explicitly applies to the president, vice president, and all civil officers of the United States. The House's own annotated Constitution confirms this distinction.
The clash stems from Jeffries' remarks last week after the Supreme Court struck down Louisiana's second majority-Black congressional district as an unconstitutional racial gerrymander. In a press conference, Jeffries declared: 'Today's decision by this illegitimate Supreme Court majority strikes a blow against the Voting Rights Act and is designed to undermine the ability of communities of color all across this country to elect their candidate of choice.' He added, 'We're not here to step back, we're here to fight back.'
The 6-3 ruling, written by Justice Samuel Alito, weakened Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act, a key tool that advocacy groups have used for decades to push for additional majority-minority districts. Alito framed the decision as an 'update' to the legal framework, not a full repeal of the provision.
This latest controversy adds to the political firestorm around the Supreme Court's legitimacy, a theme Democrats have seized on amid a series of conservative rulings. The Louisiana map decision has already sparked new redistricting chaos, with potential ripple effects for the 2026 midterms. Senator Raphael Warnock (D-Ga.) called the ruling 'devastating' for voting rights, as reported by The World Signal.
Trump's impeachment demand also comes as his own approval ratings hit new lows. A recent poll showed Trump's disapproval at 62%, driven by inflation and the ongoing Iran conflict. The president's call for action against Jeffries appears aimed at rallying his base and deflecting from his own political struggles.
The Hill has reached out to Jeffries' office for comment on the impeachment call, but no response has been received as of publication.
