On Tuesday, several Democratic lawmakers called for President Trump’s immediate removal from office following his aggressive rhetoric toward Iran. These demands surfaced ahead of a Tuesday 8:00 PM ET deadline for Tehran to finalize an agreement and reopen the strategic Strait of Hormuz, as reported by The Hill.
Congresswoman Diana DeGette (D-CO) responded to Trump’s Tuesday morning posts by stating that the President is openly threatening war crimes against Iranian civilization. She argued that the 25th Amendment should be triggered instantly, adding that if the Cabinet lacks the resolve, the House of Representatives must initiate impeachment proceedings without delay.
Echoing this sentiment, Senator Ed Markey (D-MA) described the President’s social media activity as “completely unstable and dangerous.” Markey insisted that the House must bring impeachment charges and the Senate must convict a president willing to commit war crimes, stating that the nation cannot remain passive while Trump threatens to eliminate an entire culture.
White House Response
The White House dismissed these calls as “pathetic.” Spokesperson Davis Ingle remarked that Democrats have been plotting Trump’s removal since before his inauguration. He characterized Congressional Democrats as “confused, weak, and ineffective,” attributing their record-low approval ratings to these qualities.
Escalating Rhetoric
The controversy intensified after Trump posted on Truth Social that an “entire civilization will perish tonight, never to be restored” if Iran fails to meet the maritime corridor deadline. This followed his previous threats over the weekend to target Iranian infrastructure, such as power plants and bridges—actions international experts suggest would constitute war crimes.
Representative Mark Pocan (D-WI) also joined the outcry, calling for the 25th Amendment and labeling Trump too “unstable, dangerous, and erratic” to maintain control of the nuclear codes.
Constitutional Mechanisms for Removal
The Democrats highlighted two primary paths for removal:
- Impeachment: A legislative process where the House charges and the Senate tries the President.
- The 25th Amendment: This allows the Vice President and a majority of the Cabinet to declare the President “unable to discharge the powers and duties of his office.”
If the President contests such a declaration, the decision moves to Congress, requiring a two-thirds majority in both chambers to sustain the removal. To date, the 25th Amendment has never been used for this purpose.
Notably, this follows a previous call last month by Scott McConnell, co-founder of The American Conservative, who urged Vice President JD Vance to invoke the 25th Amendment against Trump.
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