Democrats Are Considering Whether To Strip Donald Trump of Power Using the 25th Amendment. Is That Feasible?*
Threats of annihilating an entire civilization and insults directed at Iran have reignited debate about whether Donald Trump is fit to serve as president. Democrats are scheduled to discuss this issue today.
The 25th Amendment governs the transfer of power to the vice president when the president is deemed unfit to perform the duties of office.
To date, it has never been used to remove a sitting president. It was considered after the attempted assassination of Ronald Reagan in 1981, and again during the turbulent period following the 2020 U.S. presidential election, when Trump resisted transferring power, as well as amid concerns about the health of his successor, President Joe Biden.
Conflicting Messages and Big Emotions
Last year, only individual members of the Democratic Party discussed the possibility of invoking the 25th Amendment, as well as pursuing a third impeachment. The issue, however, gained momentum after unhinged threats toward Iran made by a visibly angered president.
"Open the F------ Strait, you crazy bastards, or you’ll be living in Hell - JUST WATCH!" Trump wrote in an April 5 post on Truth Social. The following day, he threatened the annihilation of Iranian civilization if Iran failed to meet his ultimatum.
A ceasefire was reached last Tuesday evening. However, peace in the Middle East remains a distant prospect. Trump’s messaging on Iran has been widely considered to be incoherent; he has delivered conflicting statements, sometimes within the same speech.
Democrats Are Scheduled To Deliberate on the Potential Use of the 25th Amendment. They Are Not the Only Ones Considering It.
Last Thursday, Republicans once again blocked a resolution introduced by Democrats that would require the president to halt any further military action against Iran until he obtains congressional approval. A similar bill is expected to be introduced in the Senate next week, where Democrats have so far been unsuccessful.
At the same time, Democrats are discussing the possible use of the 25th Amendment. A virtual meeting is scheduled for April 10, organized by Rep. Jamie Raskin of the House Judiciary Committee. Fellow party members were informed of this in a letter from House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries.
“Shockingly, Donald Trump threatened to escalate his war of choice in a profane Easter Sunday rant and to eradicate an entire civilization. … We will continue to unleash maximum pressure on Republicans to put patriotic duty over party loyalty and join Democrats in stopping the madness.” Jeffries wrote.
More than 85 Democratic members of Congress have already signaled support for invoking the amendment or pursuing impeachment.
“No president in control of his senses would publicly promise to eradicate an entire civilization. Trump seems to be taking us on a path to mass war crimes. That’s a path we cannot accept,” Democratic Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn., said on CNN.
What is particularly interesting is that similar tone has been used by a group of disillusioned MAGA supporters. “25th AMENDMENT!!!” Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene wrote on X after reading the president’s threats.
Last Thursday, Trump lashed out at his critics in an angry Truth Social post filled with barbs and insults, referring to the Georgia congresswoman as “Marjorie Traitor Greene.” For some observers, the episode offered another argument supporting claims of president’s instability. On the other hand, Trump has posted similar messages for years, and that behavior did not prevent his supporters from electing him again.
Is Using the 25th Amendment Feasible?
“Realistically, I cannot imagine using such a mechanism,” said Mateusz Piotrowski of the Polish Institute of Foreign Affairs in an interview with Gazeta Wyborcza.
“A declaration that the president is unfit to serve requires the signatures of Vice President JD Vance and at least half of the Cabinet secretaries. This administration is very loyal. It was selected specifically for loyalty to Trump. Even if there were objectively valid reasons, I find it unlikely to happen at any point of his presidency.”
Why, then, are Democrats raising this idea? According to Piotrowski, they are “trying to show that they are doing something, that they are not remaining indifferent, and that they are bringing the issue into the public debate, presenting the problem to the American people and demanding accountability.”
“We could imagine a political fiction scenario in which such a decision is made — where Vance and part of the administration conclude it would be better to take over power. But the president is not without recourse. He can declare himself fit to hold office,” Piotrowski said.
If those invoking the amendment maintain their position, the matter is handed over to Congress, where a two-thirds majority is required in both chambers — higher than the threshold for impeachment.
“I cannot imagine a scenario in which half of the Republican Party votes with Democrats, even if the situation were to worsen dramatically. Trump is the leader of this movement and of the entire party and giving him up will not be easy,” Piotrowski concluded.
*Editor’s note: This article is available in its original language with a paid subscription.
The 25th Amendment governs the transfer of power to the vice president when the president is deemed unfit to perform the duties of office.
To date, it has never been used to remove a sitting president. It was considered after the attempted assassination of Ronald Reagan in 1981, and again during the turbulent period following the 2020 U.S. presidential election, when Trump resisted transferring power, as well as amid concerns about the health of his successor, President Joe Biden.
Conflicting Messages and Big Emotions
Last year, only individual members of the Democratic Party discussed the possibility of invoking the 25th Amendment, as well as pursuing a third impeachment. The issue, however, gained momentum after unhinged threats toward Iran made by a visibly angered president.
"Open the F------ Strait, you crazy bastards, or you’ll be living in Hell - JUST WATCH!" Trump wrote in an April 5 post on Truth Social. The following day, he threatened the annihilation of Iranian civilization if Iran failed to meet his ultimatum.
A ceasefire was reached last Tuesday evening. However, peace in the Middle East remains a distant prospect. Trump’s messaging on Iran has been widely considered to be incoherent; he has delivered conflicting statements, sometimes within the same speech.
Democrats Are Scheduled To Deliberate on the Potential Use of the 25th Amendment. They Are Not the Only Ones Considering It.
Last Thursday, Republicans once again blocked a resolution introduced by Democrats that would require the president to halt any further military action against Iran until he obtains congressional approval. A similar bill is expected to be introduced in the Senate next week, where Democrats have so far been unsuccessful.
At the same time, Democrats are discussing the possible use of the 25th Amendment. A virtual meeting is scheduled for April 10, organized by Rep. Jamie Raskin of the House Judiciary Committee. Fellow party members were informed of this in a letter from House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries.
“Shockingly, Donald Trump threatened to escalate his war of choice in a profane Easter Sunday rant and to eradicate an entire civilization. … We will continue to unleash maximum pressure on Republicans to put patriotic duty over party loyalty and join Democrats in stopping the madness.” Jeffries wrote.
More than 85 Democratic members of Congress have already signaled support for invoking the amendment or pursuing impeachment.
“No president in control of his senses would publicly promise to eradicate an entire civilization. Trump seems to be taking us on a path to mass war crimes. That’s a path we cannot accept,” Democratic Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn., said on CNN.
What is particularly interesting is that similar tone has been used by a group of disillusioned MAGA supporters. “25th AMENDMENT!!!” Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene wrote on X after reading the president’s threats.
Last Thursday, Trump lashed out at his critics in an angry Truth Social post filled with barbs and insults, referring to the Georgia congresswoman as “Marjorie Traitor Greene.” For some observers, the episode offered another argument supporting claims of president’s instability. On the other hand, Trump has posted similar messages for years, and that behavior did not prevent his supporters from electing him again.
Is Using the 25th Amendment Feasible?
“Realistically, I cannot imagine using such a mechanism,” said Mateusz Piotrowski of the Polish Institute of Foreign Affairs in an interview with Gazeta Wyborcza.
“A declaration that the president is unfit to serve requires the signatures of Vice President JD Vance and at least half of the Cabinet secretaries. This administration is very loyal. It was selected specifically for loyalty to Trump. Even if there were objectively valid reasons, I find it unlikely to happen at any point of his presidency.”
Why, then, are Democrats raising this idea? According to Piotrowski, they are “trying to show that they are doing something, that they are not remaining indifferent, and that they are bringing the issue into the public debate, presenting the problem to the American people and demanding accountability.”
“We could imagine a political fiction scenario in which such a decision is made — where Vance and part of the administration conclude it would be better to take over power. But the president is not without recourse. He can declare himself fit to hold office,” Piotrowski said.
If those invoking the amendment maintain their position, the matter is handed over to Congress, where a two-thirds majority is required in both chambers — higher than the threshold for impeachment.
“I cannot imagine a scenario in which half of the Republican Party votes with Democrats, even if the situation were to worsen dramatically. Trump is the leader of this movement and of the entire party and giving him up will not be easy,” Piotrowski concluded.
*Editor’s note: This article is available in its original language with a paid subscription.
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