President Trump pretended to fire an imaginary gun at a recent press conference, but he’s now a target himself (Picture: Chen Mengtong/China News Service/VCG via Getty Images)
President Donald Trump’s warning that ‘a whole civilisation will die tonight’ has triggered a surge of calls to remove him from office.
The backlash hasn’t just come from Democrats, either. Some pretty high-profile conservative voices are among those speaking up too, giving the row an unusual cross-party flavour.
The controversial Commander-in-Chief made the surprisingly aggressive remark on Truth Social earlier this week amid ever-escalating tensions with Iran. The menacing warning came after previously threatening strikes on vital infrastructure if Tehran failed to meet a US deadline.
Critics (and there are plenty of them, as we’re about to find out) say that the language used by Trump crossed a line.
Even Jesus Christ has been critical of President Trump recently. Well, at least a man dressed as Jesus Christ has been, anyway (Picture: Gent Shkullaku/ZUMA Press Wire/Shutterstock)
Either way, the reaction has been swift and brutal, with politicians and commentators openly discussing a way to force the 45th and 47th president out — by way of something called the ’25th Amendment’.
In simple terms, the amendment allows a president to be removed if they’re deemed unable to carry out their duties. It would need Vice President JD Vance and a majority of the Trump cabinet to act, with Congress potentially deciding the outcome if it were challenged.
For context, it has never happened before. No president has been permanently removed from office using the amendment.
And right now, there’s no sign that it’s close to happening soon. But that hasn’t stopped the calls. And we do seem to live in an era of unprecedented political action.
So, then. Who – so far – has come out and called for the 25th Amendment to be invoked? Well, buckle up. There are quite a few…
Democrats demanding the 25th Amendment
Minnesotan representative Ilhan Omar is one of many Democrats to speak out against Trump’s attitude and actions in the Iran conflict (Picture: Getty Images)
Among Democrats, the response has been immediate and, in many cases, all rather furious. Hordes of Dems have now backed calls for the amendment to be invoked, with some of the party’s most recognisable figures weighing in on the issue.
Rep. Ilhan Omar described Trump as an ‘unhinged lunatic’ and said he should ‘be removed from office.’ Rep. Ro Khanna warned: ‘Threatening war crimes is a blatant violation of our constitution and the Geneva Conventions.’
Rep. Yassamin Ansari said: ‘In the last 48 hours alone, the rhetoric has crossed every line.’ Rep. Rashida Tlaib added: ‘After bombing a school and massacring young girls, the war criminal in the White House is threatening genocide. It’s time to invoke the 25th Amendment. This maniac should be removed from office.’
Rep. Mark Pocan posted: ‘25th Amendment RIGHT NOW! Trump is too unhinged, dangerous, and deranged to have the nuclear codes!’
Firebrand socialist Bernie Sanders has long advocated for ‘standing up to Trump’ (Picture: Getty Images)
Senior Democrats have also raised concerns about Trump’s conduct and fitness for office. Former Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi said: ‘Donald Trump’s instability is more clear and dangerous than ever.’
Although an independent, Senator Bernie Sanders described the comments as ‘the ravings of a dangerous and mentally unbalanced individual.’ Sen. Chris Murphy said: ‘If I were in Trump’s Cabinet, I would spend Easter calling constitutional lawyers about the 25th Amendment.’
Behind those headline names, dozens more Democrats have echoed the same call. That includes the likes of Jamie Raskin, Robert Garcia, Zoe Lofgren, Adriano Espaillat, Ritchie Torres and Teresa Leger Fernández.
Republicans calling for the 25th Amendment
Ex-congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene has not seen eye-to-eye with Trump before (Picture: AP)
While most Republicans have either defended Donald Trump or decided to just stay pretty quiet, a small but vocal group of conservative figures have also called for the amendment to be used to remove him from office.
Some have pointed to what they see as hypocrisy, given Trump’s previous stance against foreign intervention.
Former Republican congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene wrote: ‘25TH AMENDMENT!!! Not a single bomb has dropped on America. We cannot kill an entire civilization. This is evil and madness.’
Former Republican congressman Joe Walsh posted: ‘25th Amendment. Now,’ while former congressman Adam Kinzinger said: ‘This is absolutely insane and 25th amendment grounds in and of itself.’
Candace Owens and Alex Jones – two prominent right-wing media figures that are both calling for Trump to be levered out of office (Picture: Jason Davis/Getty Images)
Away from politicians, former White House counsel Ty Cobb said Trump is ‘clearly insane’ and questioned why the Cabinet had not acted. While founding editor of The American Conservative Scott McConnell urged Vice President Vance to back a ‘25th amendment transition.’
Conservative media figures are also speaking out. The contentious commentator Candace Owens said: ‘The 25th amendment needs to be invoked. He is a genocidal lunatic. Our Congress and military need to intervene. We are beyond madness.’
Fringe right-wing personality Alex Jones also called for removal, asking on his Infowars show: ‘How do we 25th Amendment his a**?’
So is time really up for Trump?
The president is no doubt keeping a careful watch over what those on both sides of the political divide are saying about him (Picture: REUTERS)
For now, the calls remain just that – calls. While plenty of people close to power would love nothing more than to see POTUS out of a job, don’t expect a news alert about it any time soon.
Removing a president using the 25th Amendment would require the vice president and Trump’s Cabinet to act, followed by overwhelming support in Congress. That remains a rather distant prospect. At least for now.
It’d be a first in US history. So don’t bet your savings on it happening. However, the fact that politicians from both sides are even talking about it tells us what the temperature is. And Donald Trump will also know. His hot seat’s warming up by the hour.
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