‘A Reckless Act of War’: Newsom Demands Impeachment Vote, Calls for Trump’s Removal Over Iran Strikes

California Governor Gavin Newsom has issued a dramatic ultimatum to congressional Democrats, urging them to leverage their potential midterm victories into an immediate vote to remove President Donald Trump from office. The call to action comes just hours after Trump confirmed the United States had launched “major combat operations” against Iran, a move Newsom labeled a “reckless, unconstitutional act of war” .

In a series of impassioned posts on X and a hastily arranged press conference in Sacramento, Newsom argued that Trump’s decision to order sweeping airstrikes on Iranian military targets—without seeking congressional authorization—represents a fundamental breakdown of the constitutional order that demands the president’s immediate removal.

“If launching a war without the consent of Congress is not a high crime and misdemeanor, then the phrase has no meaning,” Newsom told reporters. “Donald Trump has pushed this nation to the brink of a catastrophic war because he wants to distract from his domestic failures. We must end this presidency before he ends the lives of thousands of young Americans.”

The Strikes and the ‘Imminent Threat’ Claim

Newsom’s demand follows President Trump’s televised address early Saturday morning, in which he confirmed that U.S. and Israeli forces had initiated a massive aerial campaign targeting Iranian missile sites, naval assets, and nuclear infrastructure .

Trump framed the operation as a necessary preemptive defense, stating, “A short time ago, the United States military began major combat operations in Iran. Our objective is to defend the American people by eliminating imminent threats from the Iranian regime” . The president went further, urging the Iranian people to “take over your government” and warning Iranian military personnel to lay down their arms or “face certain death” .

Reports from Tehran confirmed explosions near government buildings and the closure of Iranian airspace . Trump acknowledged that American casualties were likely, calling it a “noble mission” for the future .

For Newsom and a growing chorus of Democrats, the expansion of the operation beyond targeted counter-terrorism into what Trump described as an effort to “raze their missile industry to the ground” and “annihilate their navy” crosses a constitutional red line .

‘2026 is About Impeachment’

The governor’s inflammatory rhetoric is not new. For months, Newsom has positioned himself as the standard-bearer of the anti-Trump resistance, hinting that a Democratic House majority in the 2026 midterms should result in the president’s removal .

Earlier this year, Newsom suggested that a Democratic victory in the fight for the House would effectively “END THE TRUMP PRESIDENCY,” a statement widely interpreted as a promise to pursue impeachment . Now, with the first direct American military engagement of Trump’s second term underway, Newsom is demanding action immediately—not after the election.

“The House must act now,” Newsom insisted. “We cannot wait for November. Every day we wait, we risk a wider war. The Speaker needs to call Congress back into session and begin immediate proceedings to remove a president who has clearly decided he is a dictator with the power to start wars on a whim.”

The Political Calculus

Newsom’s demand places House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries and the Democratic caucus in a precarious position. While the party base is increasingly restless and anti-war, the reality of the current Republican-controlled House makes any immediate impeachment vote purely symbolic.

Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) has shown no willingness to bring articles of impeachment to the floor. In fact, Johnson has previously warned that Democrats would “vote to impeach on their first day” if they win the majority .

However, Newsom appears to be playing a longer game. By staking out the most aggressive position possible, he is solidifying his credentials with the progressive wing of the party ahead of a potential 2028 presidential run . His aides made clear that the governor views the strikes not as a foreign policy incident, but as the defining moral test of the era.

“The president is telling Iranians to overthrow their government while dropping bombs on their capital,” a senior Newsom aide said. “If that isn’t an impeachable offense, what is? We are going to hold every Democrat accountable for answering that question.”

‘A Distraction’ or ‘A Constitutional Crisis’?

Republicans were swift in their condemnation of Newsom’s remarks, accusing the governor of politicizing a national security operation. A spokesperson for the Republican National Committee dismissed the call as “dangerous and unhinged,” adding that “Gavin Newsom would rather see America lose a war than see Donald Trump win a peace.”

Vice President JD Vance, speaking to reporters, defended the administration’s actions, stating that the objective is clear—preventing Iran from acquiring a nuclear weapon—and that the president has a duty to act when diplomacy fails .

But for Newsom, the internal divisions within the Trump administration—reports suggest the Pentagon and intelligence community were cautious about the strikes —only strengthen his case.

“If his own generals and his own CIA director were warning against this, and he did it anyway, that is the definition of a rogue president,” Newsom said. “The Congress has a duty. The question is: do they have the courage?”

As sirens continue to sound across Israel and the Middle East braces for potential retaliation, Newsom’s demand has injected a volatile new element into an already unstable 24 hours. Whether his call for removal gains traction in Washington or remains a California rallying cry may depend on how deep the United States finds itself in the conflict to come.