Why using the 25th Amendment to remove Trump is a long shot
Add Axios as your preferred source to
see more of our stories on Google.
President Trump speaks at the White House on Monday. Photo: Maxine Wallace/The Washington Post via Getty Images
House Democrats are weighing whether or how the 25th Amendment might be used to remove President Trump after his recent threat to wipe out the entire Iranian "civilization."
Why it matters: The effort faces steep legal and political hurdles — and would require buy-in from Trump's own Cabinet.
The big picture: Despite the U.S.-Iran ceasefire, calls are growing to remove Trump via the amendment — and not only from Democrats but also MAGA figures like former Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) and far-right conspiracy theorist Alex Jones.
- The White House has called "pathetic" the long-shot push to remove Trump under the 25th, or to impeach him again.
What is the 25th Amendment?
This amendment to the U.S. Constitution outlines procedures for replacing a president and includes scenarios regarding presidential incapacity.
- It was ratified in 1967 following the assassination four years earlier of President John F. Kennedy, which the Bipartisan Policy Center notes "highlighted the need for more structured procedures for handling situations where the president is unable to perform their duties."
How it works
Sections 1 and 2 relate to how the vice president takes the helm if a president is removed, dies or resigns from office and how a VP is replaced if this occurs, per a Library of Congress post.
- Section 3 allows a president to declare themself "unable to discharge the powers and duties" of office, while Section 4 allows the VP and a majority of the Cabinet or another Congress-designated body to declare the president unable to discharge these powers and duties.
Between the lines: "Congress has yet to designate an alternative body, and scholars disagree over the role, if any, of acting Cabinet officials," writes Kirsten Matoy Carlson, professor of law and adjunct professor of political science at Wayne State University, in The Conversation.
Has it been used before?
Although no sitting president has ever been removed from office under the 25th, then-President George W. Bush invoked Section 3 to place his Vice President Dick Cheney in charge while he underwent routine colonoscopies in 2002 and 2007.
- President Reagan did the same when he had cancer surgery in 1985.
Why this push is likely to fail
Reality check: Democrats in Congress cannot initiate removal under the 25th Amendment, which requires action from the vice president and a majority of the Cabinet — though Congress would decide the outcome if Trump contested it.
- And Vice President Vance, whom the president is considering endorsing for a potential 2028 run, is unlikely to invoke the 25th.
