National Security Journal

25th Amendment Time: Some Democrats Say Trump Should Be Removed Due to Iran War

Could Trump Be Removed by the 25th Amendment to the Constitution? President Donald Trump has people on edge again; his news conference on April 6 left many questioning whether he has gone too far. Trump set a deadline on April 7 after which, he threatened, he might order the U.S. military to destroy civilian electrical power plants and bridges. Such acts would punish ordinary Iranians and could kill or harm civilians—they would potentially constitute war crimes. He has also warned that “a whole civilization may die tonight.” President Donald Trump signs an executive order creating a task force for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, Tuesday, August 5, 2025, in the South Court Auditorium of the Eisenhower Executive Office Building at the White House. Vice President JD Vance attends. (Official White House Photo by Emily J. Higgins.) Trump on Easter Sunday used unhinged profanity on Truth Social. His posts alarmed people with their angry tone and vindictiveness. Trump has demonstrated that violence is often the answer, causing some critics to fear how the Iranian people might suffer unjustly during the war. Just Who Is ‘Crazy?’ The president called the Iranians “crazy ********,” but his political opponents say it is Trump who shows signs of some kind of mental incapacity. Democrats Are Getting the Long Knives Out One U.S. Senator, Democrat Chris Murphy, posted on X, “If I were in Trump’s Cabinet, I would spend Easter calling constitutional lawyers about the 25th Amendment. This is completely, utterly unhinged. He’s already killed thousands. He’s going to kill thousands more.” He posted later that Trump’s war is “pure insanity.” Murphy often goes to extremes to criticize Trump, and most of his rants lack merit. Nevertheless, Democrats would love to see the president removed by the 25th Amendment. More Progressives Are on the War Path PBS noted, “Other Democrats, including U.S. Reps. Yassamin Ansari of Arizona and Melanie Stansbury of New Mexico also called for using the amendment to remove Trump.” How Does the 25th Amendment Work? The 25th Amendment allows for the removal of a president due to health or well-being concerns. It facilitates a transfer of political power. Additionally, the second section of the amendment allows the commander in chief to appoint a new vice president in the event of a vacancy. The third section addresses the president’s ability to fulfill his duties if he becomes incapacitated for medical or other reasons. The president steps down voluntarily, and the vice president assumes presidential responsibilities. A U.S. Air Force F-22 Raptor is displayed on the flight line during a summit between U.S. President Donald J. Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Aug. 15, 2025. (Alaska National Guard photo by Seth LaCount) “Section Four allows the Vice President and a majority of the Cabinet to declare the President unable to discharge his duties and instead vest those powers and duties in the Vice President. This section might be invoked in the case that the President is unable or unwilling to declare himself incapacitated. Congress can also determine by a two-thirds vote whether to permanently remove the President or to return the President to his duties,” according to Time.com. The Fourth Section Is the Critical Stipulation Section Four is the one that the president’s opponents want invoked, and even the Iranians have called for its implementation. But There Is a War On What would happen to the war effort if the president were removed? Vice President J.D. Vance would then take over, but it’s unclear what his next step would be. Vance is considered the most dovish member of the president’s national security team. The Iranians prefer negotiating with Vance over Secretary of State Marco Rubio, whom Tehran sees as the most hawkish member of the administration. Vance is a former Marine but has been somewhat hesitant to support the use of military force in the past. He has not objected forcefully to the war in Iran, though—he tends to emphasize that there will not be ground troops involved in the fighting, and claims that most objectives have been met. The Votes in the Senate Are Not There Removing Trump could stop the war, which many see as the best outcome. The current Senate, controlled by Republicans, is unlikely to vote to invoke Section Four, but midterm elections could change the upper chamber’s leadership. Trump Has Low Approval Ratings Trump’s approval ratings are in the high 30s and low 40s, indicating some interest among Americans in a new Democratic president being elected in 2028. But Trump also has stubborn supporters, who would never accept his removal by way of an obscure amendment. President Donald Trump signs an executive order on Delivering Most-Favored-Nation Prescription Drug Pricing to American Patient at a press conference with Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Monday, May 12, 2025, in the Roosevelt Room. (Official White House Photo by Joyce N. Boghosian) The People Spoke in 2024 Trump won his last election legitimately and decisively. Millions of American voters chose him over Kamala Harris despite the president frequently posting on social media. A few heated comments on his Truth Social account are not enough reason to remove him from office through impeachment or the 25th Amendment. It seems that whenever the Democrats disagree with Trump on policy, they try to remove him through impeachment and other means. Trump is acting as commander in chief, and he has broad powers granted by the Constitution and the War Powers Resolution to use reasonable military force if he chooses. Democrats Need to Win More Elections If Democrats dislike his international security policy, they should try to win the midterm elections to increase checks and balances against the president. Relying on the 25th Amendment reflects political frustration. The use of the 25th Amendment is therefore neither justified nor a wise choice. It unfairly targets the president and is just wishful thinking by the Democrats who lost the last presidential election. Instead, the Democrats should focus on defeating Trump by gaining more seats in Congress this year, and stop entertaining weak legal maneuvers to remove him. Doing so will only tear the country apart and cause more uncertainty and chaos. About the Author: Dr. Brent M. Eastwood Author of now over 3,500 articles on defense issues, Brent M. Eastwood, PhD, is the author of Don’t Turn Your Back On the World: A Conservative Foreign Policy and Humans, Machines, and Data: Future Trends in Warfare, plus two other books. Brent was the founder and CEO of a tech firm that predicted world events using artificial intelligence. He served as a legislative fellow for US Senator Tim Scott and advised the senator on defense and foreign policy issues. He has taught at American University, George Washington University, and George Mason University. Brent is a former US Army Infantry officer. He can be followed on X @BMEastwood.