The 2026 midterm elections have reshaped Washington, with Democrats winning control of both the House of Representatives and the Senate. The shift gives the party greater power to challenge President Donald Trump’s agenda, investigate his administration, and scrutinize decisions made by the White House. The Associated Press reported that Democrats secured victories in states that had traditionally favored Republicans.

With the new congressional balance, investigations and possible impeachment proceedings are likely to receive renewed attention. Democratic leaders have emphasized accountability and oversight, although control of Congress alone does not automatically remove a president from office.

One constitutional provision attracting attention is Section 4 of the 25th Amendment. Never before invoked, it provides a mechanism for transferring presidential powers to the vice president if the president is unable to perform the duties of the office.

But there is an important detail: Democrats in Congress cannot invoke Section 4 by themselves. The process requires the vice president and a majority of the Cabinet—or another body established by Congress—to declare that the president is unable to discharge the powers and duties of the office.

That distinction matters because Section 4 does not itself remove a president from office. Impeachment is a separate constitutional process, involving a House vote to impeach and a Senate trial where conviction requires a two-thirds vote. With Democrats preparing to exercise their new congressional majority, the coming political battles could be significant—but the constitutional rules are more complicated than the headline suggests.