Connecticut – Fresh calls for action against President Donald Trump erupted Tuesday after Rep. John Larson of Connecticut said he had filed articles of impeachment. He joins lawmakers from around the country, including from states like California, Arizona, Georgia and others in those efforts.
He is arguing that the president’s recent conduct surrounding the conflict with Iran had crossed yet another line.
The latest push came after Trump posted a stark warning on social media that a “whole civilization” could be wiped out if the Strait of Hormuz was not reopened immediately, language that critics said deepened fears about both the war itself and the judgment behind it.
Larson framed his move as a response not only to the military escalation, but to what he described as a broader pattern of alarming behavior.
In a sharply worded statement, the longtime Democratic lawmaker said Trump’s actions had gone beyond the bounds of what Congress and the country should tolerate.
“Donald Trump has blown past every requirement to be removed from office. And it’s getting worse. His illegal war in Iran is not only driving up prices for American families — it has cost American lives,” Larson said.
The debate intensified even as the White House appeared to ease the pace of events, at least temporarily.
On Tuesday evening, Trump paused the strikes for two weeks after Pakistan intervened and requested a longer deadline. That pause, however, did little to calm the political firestorm in Washington, where Democrats and some former Trump allies were still reacting to the tone and substance of his earlier remarks.
Larson said the problem extended far beyond one post.
He pointed to a series of recent statements, including what he called Trump’s “profane and sacrilegious Easter Sunday” comments, as part of a disturbing trajectory.
“He’s becoming more unstable by the day. His profane and sacrilegious Easter Sunday and subsequent threats, including ‘a whole civilization will die’ and ‘open the Strait … or you’ll be living in hell’ not only foreshadow war crimes, but put our security at risk,” Larson said.
That message found some support within the Democratic Party, where concern over Trump’s fitness for office has grown more explicit.
According to the context provided, 70 Democrats, among them former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Sen. Chris Murphy of Connecticut, and Rep. Yaasmin Ansari of Arizona, said Trump’s Cabinet should invoke the 25th Amendment. Doing so would begin an involuntary transfer of presidential power to the vice president on the grounds that the president is unable to serve.
For now, though, Trump’s own Cabinet is not moving in that direction.
Administration officials have backed the strikes and continued to argue that the goal of the White House is to stop Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons. That position has remained the central defense of the military campaign, even as critics question both its legality and the president’s rhetoric around it.
The backlash has not come only from Democrats.
Some of Trump’s longtime supporters also broke ranks after his Sunday post threatening Iran’s civilian infrastructure. Among those mentioned were Alex Jones, Megyn Kelly, and Tucker Carlson, all of whom reportedly said the post went too far. Their criticism added an unusual twist to the moment, suggesting that concern over Trump’s approach had reached beyond his usual political opponents.
Still, not everyone saw the comments the same way.
Rep. Mike Lawler, a New York Republican, dismissed interpretations that Trump had been threatening civilians directly.
“We’re talking about taking decisive action against Iran’s energy and civilian infrastructure. That is what the president is talking about,” Lawler said on CNN News Central, reported by The Hill. “He’s not talking about obliterating innocent people.”
Larson, however, argued that the words themselves were enough to raise urgent constitutional questions. He said people in his district had already made clear that they believe Trump is unfit for office and that waiting for Republican leaders to act was no longer acceptable.
“People across my district know he is unfit to lead and are calling for impeachment. While Republicans in the majority have so far failed to uphold their constitutional responsibility to initiate impeachment proceedings, that does not absolve others of their duty. Members of the Cabinet and those closest to the President can act immediately,” Larson said.
He ended with a direct appeal for officials around Trump to step in before the crisis worsens.
“They have an obligation to put patriotism over politics and invoke the 25th Amendment. Donald Trump is unable or unwilling to faithfully execute the responsibilities of the office and he is putting the nation’s security and economy in jeopardy,” Larson added.
Whether Larson’s impeachment effort gains traction in a Republican-controlled House remains uncertain. But his filing, combined with renewed calls for the 25th Amendment, shows that Trump’s handling of the Iran conflict has opened a new and volatile front in the battle over his presidency.
