US President Donald Trump is facing a renewed constitutional crisis as lawmakers demand his impeachment or the invocation of the 25th Amendment following a series of erratic, small-hours social media posts.
The ‘midnight rants’, which included AI-generated imagery of a US-occupied Greenland and threats of execution for political rivals, have been described by detractors as ‘incoherent’ and a direct threat to national security.
In a pair of Truth Social posts late on 18 January 2026, Trump renewed his long-standing assault on political opponents and the judiciary, messages that critics say reflect a troubling pattern of unscripted, incendiary online behaviour.
Across a series of posts and public reactions this week, Trump’s behaviour has been depicted not merely as partisan rhetoric but as destabilising both domestic governance and international alliances.
As criticism spreads beyond Democrats to uneasy Republicans, Trump’s nocturnal online behaviour is no longer dismissed as bluster but framed as a governing liability with real-world consequences.
Lawmakers Label Posts ‘Incoherent’ And Renew Impeachment Calls
Several Democratic members of Congress have publicly condemned Trump’s late-night social media activity. Representative Delia Ramirez (D-Ill.) released a statement to Axios arguing that Trump’s conduct ‘crosses a threshold that demands his impeachment’ in response to what she termed an ‘insane extension’ of executive authority.
The calls come amid wider tensions surrounding Trump’s interactions with lawmakers, particularly a controversial November 2025 video featuring six Democratic lawmakers urging US military personnel and intelligence officers to refuse unlawful orders, a move Trump characterised as ‘seditious behaviour’ and ‘traitorous’.
Critics also point to a flurry of nocturnal content that included AI-generated images of Trump planting an American flag on Greenland and maps depicting Greenland, Canada and other regions as US territory, along with copies of private diplomatic messages shared without context, as symptomatic of a broader breakdown in presidential communication discipline.
Trump is awake at 1:30 am posting AI images of himself taking over Greenland, leaking text messages with world leaders, and ranting incoherently. There has never been a better time to impeach and remove this lunatic from office than right now.
— Harry Sisson (@harryjsisson) January 20, 2026
Constitutional Friction Intensifies As Republicans Also Express Alarm
The backlash is not strictly partisan. A handful of Republican lawmakers have expressed unease with Trump’s rhetoric, particularly regarding threats against the judiciary and members of Congress.
Senator Susan Collins of Maine reportedly reacted with ‘incredulous furrowing of brows’ when asked about Trump’s comments describing political opponents in extreme terms on social media.
President Trump Issues a Dire Warning as Radical-Left Judges Continue to Sabotage his Agenda—Also Calling Out Chief Justice John Roberts pic.twitter.com/AifH0RjOdH
— Tony Seruga (@TonySeruga) March 21, 2025
Earlier controversies also illustrate the constitutional tension over Trump’s rhetoric. In March 2025, Trump called a federal judge a ‘Radical Left Lunatic’ in a Truth Social post and said the judge should be impeached after the court blocked his administration’s deportation orders under the Alien Enemies Act — a demand that was rebuked by Chief Justice John Roberts, who stated impeachment is not an appropriate response to a judicial decision.
In that earlier episode, Republican Representative Brandon Gill introduced an impeachment resolution against the judge, underscoring how divisive judicial criticism has become in Trump’s presidency.
Context Of Growing Institutional Strain
Trump’s pattern of incendiary social media posts has been long documented. His exclusive use of Truth Social since its launch in February 2022 has made it a signature outlet for dramatic announcements, policy threats, and personal attacks. Critics have labelled many of these posts ‘rants’ and questioned their impact on governance and legal norms.
These institutional strains come at a time of heightened political tension in Washington. Recent military action ordered by Trump in Venezuela and his assertions of extraordinary executive authority have already drawn denunciations from key Democrats, some of whom have floated invoking the 25th Amendment or other restraints on presidential power.
Despite this, the Republican-controlled House has historically been resistant to impeachment efforts. A December 2025 privileged motion to force a floor vote on impeachment, citing allegations including Trump’s public calls for punishment of six Democratic lawmakers, was tabled by a 237-140 vote, effectively killing that effort, with many Democrats opposing strategic leadership decisions at the time.
President Trump’s escalating midnight social media blitz and its real-world diplomatic fallout have thrust the United States into an extraordinary constitutional moment.
Originally published on IBTimes UK
