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In It to Win It

(12,662 posts)
Wed Apr 8, 2026, 05:22 PM Yesterday

It should be much easier to remove the president from office - Ian Millhiser

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Vox

The 25th Amendment is having a moment.

According to a tally by NBC News, over 70 Democratic lawmakers called for President Donald Trump’s Cabinet to invoke an obscure constitutional provision that would allow them to temporarily prevent Trump from acting as president, after Trump threatened to wipe out “a whole civilization” in Iran. (Trump has backed away from that threat, at least for now.)

Notably, their call for a 25th Amendment solution was echoed by some voices on the far right, including former US Rep. Majorie Taylor Greene, radio host Alex Jones, and MAGA influencer Candace Owens.

It’s not the first time the amendment has come up. There’s been a regular background hum of Trump critics demanding its invocation throughout both his terms in office, which peaked in the days after January 6, 2021, with real conversations in his Cabinet and in congressional leadership about the process.

As a practical matter, Trump is not going anywhere, even if he didn’t command the near-universal loyalty within his party that he currently does. By international standards, it is extremely difficult to remove the president of the United States, and much harder than it is to remove the leaders of many of our peer democracies. And the 25th Amendment is not a viable shortcut around this problem, which is rooted in the fundamental structure of America’s government.

"Let’s cut to the chase: Trump is about as likely to be removed via the 25th Amendment as he is to be deposed by an army of unicorn-riding elves."

www.vox.com/politics/485...

Ian Millhiser (@imillhiser.bsky.social) 2026-04-08T20:10:22.575Z
6 replies = new reply since forum marked as read
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BlueTsunami2018

(5,008 posts)
1. Nah, that would never be abused.
Wed Apr 8, 2026, 05:28 PM
Yesterday

After the 2010 “shellacking” President Obama took, they’d have taken him right out of office if it was easy.

Hell, the Democrats may have taken President Biden out themselves in ‘24 or sooner.

Obviously, we have a real case where the President should be removed but you just know the power would be abused by the bought off Congress. It would be a circus if it was easy.

in2herbs

(4,430 posts)
3. I know the reason why F45 will never leave office of his own accord: he'd have to start paying his own
Wed Apr 8, 2026, 05:36 PM
23 hrs ago

medical bills.

JI7

(93,660 posts)
4. The problem is a large percentage of the population supports him
Wed Apr 8, 2026, 05:38 PM
23 hrs ago

Even many that oppose him going into Iran would be against removing him.

If he was unpopular with his party and they supported removing him then the Republicans would do it.

LetMyPeopleVote

(180,236 posts)
5. Deadline Legal Blog-How the 25th Amendment would work against Trump amid his Iran belligerence
Wed Apr 8, 2026, 05:58 PM
23 hrs ago

Like in the impeachment process, the Republican-controlled Congress has a role to play.

How the 25th Amendment would work against Trump amid his Iran belligerence

https://www.europesays.com/iran/56326/

Politically diverse voices have raised the prospect of using the 25th Amendment to sideline President Donald Trump as he brings us to the brink…

EUROPE SAYS (@europesays.bsky.social) 2026-04-07T20:32:05+00:00

https://www.ms.now/deadline-white-house/deadline-legal-blog/how-25th-amendment-would-work-trump-iran

Whatever the likelihood of such a move, you might wonder: How would that constitutional process play out?

Section 4 of the amendment gives the vice president and a majority of the Cabinet (or another body designated by Congress) the power to declare that the president “is unable to discharge the powers and duties of his office.” If such a declaration is made here, then Vice President JD Vance would, as the amendment says, “immediately assume the powers and duties of the office as Acting President.”

But that would not end the matter. Section 4, which has never been invoked, goes on to give the president the power to then tell Congress that he’s able to serve. In that case, he regains the office unless the vice president and a majority of the Cabinet (or another body designated by Congress) say he’s unable to serve. If that happens, then it’s up to Congress to decide, with the amendment requiring a two-thirds vote in both chambers, that the president is “unable to discharge the powers and duties of his office.” If Congress makes that determination, the vice president continues acting as president; otherwise, the president resumes serving.

So, although the initial action can come from the White House, Congress ultimately has a role to play, and Republicans control both chambers. ....

Therefore, like the 25th Amendment, impeachment leaves the fate of the country to a Republican party and congressional majority that has been subservient to this president.

trump will NOT be removed under the 25th Amendment. Vance and the cabinet will not remove trump and if they did there is no way that two-thirds of both the Senate and House would support this if trump challenges this removal.

There may some political benefit in trying to shame Vance and the cabinet into invoking the 25th Amendment but I believe that Vance and the assholes in trump's cabinet are immune to shame

BannonsLiver

(20,652 posts)
6. There's probably some middle ground between easy and next to impossible, which is where things stand now.
Wed Apr 8, 2026, 06:17 PM
23 hrs ago
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