Why this matters: the 26-article package is designed as a midterm roadmap, not a realistic path to removal.
**September 28, 2026** — Rep. **Steve Cohen** (D-TN) has introduced **26 articles of impeachment** against President **Donald Trump**, a sweeping package spanning immigration, war powers, federal spending and press freedom. Cohen openly concedes the resolution has no path forward in the **Republican-controlled House**, framing it instead as a record of opposition ahead of the midterm elections.
Image: Original illustration of the US Capitol dome at dusk with an American flag, symbolizing the impeachment filing in Congress. Credit: Red Eye Eagle News / original AI illustration.
**Editor's Highlight:** A single member can file articles, but only the House can impeach: this is a messaging resolution aimed at the history books and the November ballot, not at the floor calendar.
Table of Contents
- Key Facts
- What Cohen filed
- "I know they won't go anywhere"
- Why now: nine days after Green's defeat
- What's inside the 26 articles
- Bottom Line
- FAQ
- Sources
Key Facts
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Filed by | Rep. Steve Cohen (D-TN), senior House Judiciary Committee member |
| Date introduced | September 24, 2026 |
| Articles | 26, covering immigration, war powers, spending, press, pardons |
| House control | Republican majority; resolution cannot advance without GOP votes |
| Cohen's own assessment | "I know they won't go anywhere" (to Nexstar) |
| Prior attempt | Cohen filed 5 articles in November 2017 |
| Green resolution | Tabled 232-147 on September 15 |
| Reported by | Newsweek, September 26, 2026 |
What Cohen filed
Cohen, a senior member of the **House Judiciary Committee**, introduced the resolution on **September 24**, as first reported by **Newsweek** on September 26. The filing is a solo effort: an individual member can introduce articles of impeachment, but impeachment itself happens only if the House votes to approve at least one of them.
With Republicans controlling the chamber, the measure stands virtually no chance of moving. Cohen himself said the effort is unlikely to advance, and framed the resolution as a roadmap for the incoming **120th Congress** should Democrats reclaim the House in November.
**Newsroom Focus:** The claims in the resolution are Cohen's allegations. Newsweek's own coverage notes they do not themselves establish wrongdoing, and none has been established by a court, committee or independent finding cited in the reporting.
"I know they won't go anywhere"
Cohen did not hide the politics. In a press release, he called Trump "clearly the most impeachable President our country has ever endured" and said: "His continued presence in office is a **danger to our democracy**."
"That the sycophantic Republican majority in Congress is derelict in its duty does not mean that I must abandon my responsibilities," Cohen wrote. "I took an independent oath to support and defend the Constitution. That commitment compels me to introduce this resolution today. When historians write about this period, and our constituents ask who stood up to President Trump's lawlessness, this resolution is the answer."
Speaking later to **Nexstar**, he conceded the endpoint: "**I know they won't go anywhere**, but I'm not going to stop standing up for my constituents and for democracy."
Why now: nine days after Green's defeat
The timing tells the story. On **September 15**, the House tabled Rep. **Al Green's** separate impeachment resolution by a **232-147** vote. **Eighteen Democrats** joined nearly all Republicans to kill it, while another **47 lawmakers voted present**, including House Democratic leaders **Hakeem Jeffries**, **Katherine Clark** and **Pete Aguilar**.
Democratic leaders refused to endorse Green's resolution, saying impeachment should follow formal investigations and hearings that had not taken place. Aguilar said shortly before the vote that impeachment was not at the top of House Democrats' agenda.
Cohen filed his much longer list **nine days later**, broadening the charges far beyond Green's immigration-focused effort.
**Analysis Note:** The Democratic divide is the real story beneath the filing: leadership sat out Green's vote and has not embraced Cohen's either, even as individual members keep the impeachment machinery symbolically alive.
What's inside the 26 articles
The resolution ranges across nearly every pillar of the administration's second term. The first article accuses Trump of **"undermining democracy"** by sowing doubt in elections. The second alleges **abuse of power** by waging war on Iran without congressional approval. A third cites alleged **extrajudicial killings** in international waters off Venezuela, and a fourth targets the **deployment of military forces against U.S. cities**.
Immigration features heavily. Articles attack Trump's **birthright citizenship** executive order and the administration's use of the **Alien Enemies Act** to deport **Kilmar Abrego Garcia** to El Salvador. They also raise claims about conditions at El Salvador's **CECOT prison** and accuse the administration of defying court orders in immigration enforcement.
Other counts accuse the president of **unlawfully withholding congressionally appropriated funds**, imposing loyalty tests on the federal workforce, improperly terminating **inspectors general**, and abusing the pardon power.
Two articles accuse him of attacking **press freedom**, including by excluding reporters from the White House over coverage and allegedly coercing **CBS** and **ABC** to alter editorial content. Separate articles target executive actions against **law firms** and the withholding of federal funds from **universities**. The final article, **Article XXVI**, alleges violations of the Constitution's **emoluments** provisions through profiting "personally and directly from the presidency."
A related fight over White House press access is already in court: **CNN**, **MS NOW** and **Politico** are suing after their reporters were banished, seeking to regain entry.
This is not Cohen's first run: he introduced **five articles** against Trump in **November 2017**. Trump was later impeached twice by the House, on **December 18, 2019** (abuse of power and obstruction of Congress) and in **January 2021** (incitement of insurrection), and acquitted by the Senate both times.
Bottom Line
Cohen's 26 articles add volume, not a new governing majority: a record-long grievance file aimed at the midterms and the history books, filed by a member who says himself it will not move.
What to watch: whether House Democratic leaders engage with or continue to sidestep impeachment talk, how the resolution features in midterm campaigning, and the outcome of the press-access lawsuit from CNN, MS NOW and Politico.
FAQ
Did the House impeach Trump with this filing?
No. An individual member can introduce articles, but impeachment happens only if the House votes to approve at least one. Cohen's resolution has not been voted on and cannot advance in the Republican-controlled House.
What do the 26 articles allege?
They span undermining democracy, waging war on Iran without congressional approval, alleged extrajudicial killings off Venezuela, deploying troops to US cities, immigration policies, withholding appropriated funds, firing inspectors general, pardon abuse, press-freedom attacks and emoluments violations.
Why did Cohen file if it can't pass?
He framed it as a stand for the record and a roadmap for a potential Democratic House majority after the midterms, saying historians and constituents will ask "who stood up to President Trump's lawlessness."
What happened to the earlier impeachment push?
On September 15 the House tabled Rep. Al Green's narrower resolution 232-147, with 18 Democrats joining Republicans and 47 voting present, including Democratic leaders.
Has Trump been impeached before?
Yes, twice during his first presidency: December 2019 and January 2021. The Senate acquitted him both times.
Sources
- Newsweek (via American Almanac summary, September 27, 2026), "Tennessee Democrat Files 26 Trump Impeachment Articles" — filing date, Cohen quotes, article contents, Green vote context: https://americanalmanac.com/tennessee-democrat-dumps-26-impeachment-articles-on-trump-in-doomed-house-bid/
- MEAW (September 27, 2026), "House Democrat drops massive 26-article impeachment resolution targeting Trump" — Cohen statement, roadmap framing, 232-147 vote: https://news.meaww.com/house-democrat-drops-massive-26-article-impeachment-resolution-targeting-trump
- YouTube news report, "Rep. Steve Cohen Files 26 Articles of Impeachment Against Trump, Says He's The Most Impeachable" — on-topic video report embedded above (sources: Newsweek, Rep. Cohen's official press release, WREG/Nexstar): https://www.youtube.com/shorts/E5XW9Cxyeio
- ABNA English (September 27, 2026), "Democratic Representative Introduces 26 New Articles of Impeachment Against Trump" — article-by-article breakdown, immigration provisions: https://en.abna24.com/news/1870857/Democratic-Representative-Introduces-26-New-Articles-of-Impeachment
- Original AI illustration generated for Red Eye Eagle News (hero image).
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