Donald Trump and Hakeem Jeffries collided again over the weekend, after Trump used Truth Social to call for the Democratic House leader to be impeached over remarks about the Supreme Court.
Jeffries, speaking after the court's April 29 ruling on Louisiana's congressional map, called the conservative majority "illegitimate" and the decision "unacceptable" at a press conference.
Highlights
Donald Trump called on Republicans to impeach Hakeem Jeffries over Jeffries' criticism of the Supreme Court.
Jeffries fired back at Trump's post on X with the phrase "Jeffries Derangement Syndrome." Legal experts noted that members of Congress cannot be impeached under the Constitution, only expelled by their chamber.
The feud was sparked by the Supreme Court's 6-3 ruling on April 29, which struck down a Louisiana congressional map with two majority-Black districts and gutted key Voting Rights Act protection.
The decision could shift up to 12 House seats from Democratic to Republican control, making it one of the most consequential redistricting rulings in decades.
Trump called for impeachment but the Constitution does not allow it
Trump, posting from Truth Social, escalated the fight by attacking Jeffries as a "Low IQ" Democrat and asking why Republicans should not move to impeach him. Jeffries fired back on X later that day with a short jab that quickly spread online: "Jeffries Derangement Syndrome."
The clash grew out of the Supreme Court's 6-3 decision on April 29, striking down Louisiana's congressional map. Jeffries blasted the court's conservative majority as "illegitimate" and the ruling "unacceptable."
Trump first pushed back on April 30, demanding that Jeffries withdraw the statement immediately. In that post, Trump defended the court as "one of the Greatest Institutions anywhere in the World," then returned to the issue late on May 3 with a sharper message, comparing Jeffries' comments to Trump's 2019 impeachment over what he called "a perfect phone call."
That comparison drew immediate scrutiny because impeachment does not apply to members of Congress. As legal experts and constitutional scholars noted in reaction to the post, lawmakers can be expelled by their own chamber with a two-thirds vote, but they cannot be impeached under the Constitution.
The distinction became a major part of the online argument almost as soon as Trump posted. It also gave Jeffries an opening to clap back with a line tailored to Trump's own political language. His phrase, "Jeffries Derangement Syndrome," echoed Trump's long-running complaints about "Trump Derangement Syndrome."
Online users quickly seized on both the insult and the constitutional error. On Reddit, one commenter wrote, "To be fair, Trump has been impeached twice and probably just assumes it's a standard procedure for everyone now."
Other reactions were harsher. One user wrote, "Jesus Christ, Trump is just so g*ddamn profoundly stupid."
This is not the first time Trump has attacked Jeffries
The impeachment demand is the latest in a long-running feud. In September 2025, during a government shutdown standoff, Trump posted an AI-generated video on Truth Social depicting Jeffries wearing a sombrero and mustache, set to mariachi music, hours after Jeffries and Chuck Schumer met Trump at the White House to try to hash out a deal to keep the government open. Jeffries called the video racist. JD Vance said he found it funny.
More recently, Trump posted a photo of Jeffries holding a baseball bat, calling him a "THUG" and "a danger to our Country" — less than a week after a shooting at the White House Correspondents' Dinner, even as the White House was urging Democrats to tone down their rhetoric. Jeffries responded the next day, posting a screenshot of the attack and replying, "Do you need a hug? Be Best."
