US President Donald Trump said on Tuesday that Republicans must win the 2026 midterm elections or else he will be impeached by Democrats.
"You gotta win the midterms 'cause, if we don't win the midterms, it's just gonna be - I mean, they'll find a reason to impeach me," Trump said. "I'll get impeached."
The president urged his fellow Republicans to fight in a more unified fashion on issues ranging from gender politics to healthcare and election reforms, and to sell his policies to a public angry about cost-of-living issues.
Trump's agenda is on the line in November's elections, when all seats in the House of Representatives and a third of the Senate's seats will be contested.
During the speech, Trump predicted an epic win for Republicans in the elections but also expressed concerns about historical precedent that the party of the sitting president usually fares poorly.
"They say that when you win the presidency, you lose the midterm," Trump said at the Kennedy Center, a Washington performing arts center that was recently renamed to include a mention of Trump. "I wish you could explain to me what the hell's going on with the mind of the public," Trump said.
House Republicans have shown enormous deference to Trump so far, ceding much of Congress' authority over spending and other matters to his administration. But they have started to show glimmers of independence. The House could vote this week to override a veto Trump issued last month that canceled water projects in Colorado and Utah, though it is not clear whether the effort will get the two-thirds majority needed.
Trump was impeached twice by the Democratic-led House of Representatives during his 2017-2021 term in office, faulting him for what they said were abuses of power involving Ukraine and ahead of the January 6, 2021, riot at the Capitol. The Republican-controlled Senate voted to acquit him in both cases.
Trump to meet with health insurance representatives
Trump also said he would meet with representatives from every health insurance company soon, after saying last month that he wanted to talk to them about lowering their prices.
"I'm going to meet with them in a few days, I'm meeting with them all: 14 companies," Trump said.
Representatives for the nation's largest health insurance firms could not immediately be reached for comment.
In December, as millions of Americans faced a potential spike in premiums at month's end, Trump said he wanted to meet with the health insurance industry to lower costs, just as he had with pharmaceutical manufacturers.
COVID-era US subsidies expired on December 31 for many who purchase their health insurance coverage through exchanges via the Affordable Care Act.
While millions of Americans receive health insurance through their jobs or government coverage under Medicare and Medicaid, about 24 million Americans utilize the ACA to buy their own policies. Millions of others are uninsured.
Congress, led by Trump's fellow Republicans, did not act to extend the ACA subsidies. Trump has said that he does not plan to offer a broader healthcare proposal and that the ACA, also known as Obamacare, will "repeal itself" as Americans stop using it.
On Tuesday, he reiterated his call for lawmakers to instead give money directly to Americans to buy their own insurance, but offered no specific amount.
About 25% of Obamacare enrollees signaled they would forgo coverage in 2026 if their premiums doubled as expected, KFF polling found. The average annual premium payment for subsidized ACA plans is estimated to increase to $1,904 in 2026 from $888 in 2025, according to the health policy nonprofit.