President Donald Trump, displaying an executive order that offers clemency for those convicted in relation to the Jan. 6 events, marks an auspicious start to his morning in the Oval Office on Jan. 20, 2025. This event echoes across the capital city of Washington as the news disseminates, reinforcing his return to power. Seemingly, certain sectors of the media, especially those with a propensity for spreading falsehoods, have been quite busy peddling impeachment narratives based on phantom Republican support. However, in any responsible and merit-based review of the facts, these claims seem to fall flat.
Without any serious backing or verifiable sources, these impeachment rumors appear more like unsupported gossip than any credible political movement. A full Republican majority in both houses of Congress casts another shadow of doubt over these stories that lack any real substance. Though there may be organizations trying to drum up impeachment support, nothing credible indicates that they have any traction with House or Senate Republicans. All signs point to a staunch loyalty to President Trump within these Republican-controlled quarters of Congress.
One such fabricated rumor comes from an obscure and unreliable social media account called ‘PoliticsVideoChannel’, which irresponsibly claimed on Jan. 22 that it had communications with 25 Republican senators ready to convict Trump over his Jan. 6 pardons. However, it turns out to be a futile attempt to shift narrative as no such correspondences were ever provided or verified, leaving the claim to crumble under the weight of its own baselessness. The tale appears to be another smear fabricated to spread discord, devoid of credibility.
In reality, President Trump exercised his powers of clemency on his first day back in office, providing pardons or commutations for over 1,500 individuals convicted regarding the Capitol incident. This magnanimous decision of clemency, though criticized by a small fraction of the Republican party, did not result in any Senate Republicans jumping on a Trump impeachment bandwagon. In fact, the overwhelming majority applauded President Trump for his fair and judicious application of presidential powers.
Minor pocket rebellions from a few Republicans did not deter the overall voice of the majority. A handful like Sen. Bill Cassidy of Louisiana voiced their preference for punishment over pardoning. Sens. Thom Thillis of North Carolina, Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, Susan Collins of Maine echoed similar sentiments. It’s vital to note that the very same individuals had previously voted in favor of convicting Trump during the 2021 incident. What seems like a repetition of their past disagreements does not define or represent the general Republican sentiment.
Though Newsweek reported about an organization’s attempts to push for Trump’s impeachment, it appears far from probable that any significant Republican support would materialize. Instead, it seems more likely to remain wishful thinking on their part. The echo of previous failed attempts of impeachment still lingers, only solidifying the Republican resolve against such movements.
During his first stint in the office, despite facing impeachment not once, but twice, primarily driven by the opposing party, the Senate vindicated Trump on both occasions. His unsullied record testifies to his ability to weather the storm and emerge victorious. The charges during those periods ranged from supposed pressure on Ukraine’s President to probe Joe Biden and his son, and a supposed instigation of unrest at the Capitol.
In the following days of Trump’s inauguration, social media became rife with insubstantial claims of an emerging impeachment movement. However, these claims turned out to be little more than rumors and speculation, lacking any substantial evidence or verifiable facts.
Among these groundless claims, one particularly caught the public’s eye, stating that Reps. Alexandria Ocaso-Cortez of New York and Jamie Raskin of Maryland had filed impeachment articles against Trump on Jan. 24. This allegation, too, turned out to be another unfounded rumor, disproved by the absence of any such filings.
While a few have tried to present Trump’s pardons as an impeachment-worthy offense, they make up a tiny representation of the political landscape. The vast majority, especially within the controlling Republican party, views these allegations as feeble and baseless. Given the strong Republican hold on the House, it’s almost certain any impeachment ploy would be swiftly quashed.
Further hypothetically, twenty Republican senators would need to side with Democrats to even start deliberations to convict Trump on impeachment charges. In a Congress dominated by Republicans, and considering the fact that only six out of forty-three senators who previously voted against convicting Trump in his first term are still in office, such a scenario is highly implausible. Furthermore, only three of the seven Republicans who had voted to convict him in the first term are still in office.
A glance at the historical stance does not hint at any shift in loyalty towards Trump. Instead, it roots their commitment in strong ground. The dubious account ‘Politics Video’ responsible for fanning the flames of this latest rumor, with its sister website, has been prolifically spreading false and misleading claims regarding Trump and Republicans. The posts these entities made majorly rely on anonymous sources that lack credibility, adding to their history of misleading narrative.
The account, established back in 2016 and posting publicly since 2017, was found to be linked to an Australian email address in a 2024 FactCheck.org article, adding to the suspicion. Further undermining its credibility, in one instance, this account erroneously suggested that then-Vice President Kamala Harris could reject the certification of Trump’s election, a claim that was utterly false, given the vice president’s role in certifying an election is purely ministerial. All things considered, the account’s history of false and misleading claims seems to continue unabated, the latest in their list being the Republican majority’s silent support for Trump’s new impeachment, a claim wholly unsubstantiated by any evidence.