Democrats and some others have urged using the 25th Amendment after President Donald Trump warned that “an entire civilization will die” if Iran did not back down—comments criticized worldwide and described by some as amounting to a war crime. Recent controversy over his handling of the Epstein files and provocative social-media posts, including attacks on Pope Leo XIV, have intensified calls to consider his removal.
What the 25th Amendment is
The 25th Amendment, adopted in 1967 after the assassination of John F. Kennedy, sets rules for presidential succession and incapacity. It has four sections: section 1 makes the vice president president if the presidency is vacated; section 2 deals with filling a vacant vice presidency; section 3 permits a president to temporarily transfer power (used by George W. Bush in 2002 and 2007 and by Joe Biden in 2021 during colonoscopies); and section 4 allows removal when a president is unable to perform the duties of the office. Section 4 has never been invoked.
How section 4 works
Under section 4, the vice president and a majority of the principal officers of the executive departments—or of another body Congress might create—can declare the president unfit. The vice president then becomes acting president. The president can contest the declaration by submitting a written statement asserting ability; if the vice president and cabinet maintain their position, Congress decides the matter. A two-thirds vote in both chambers is required to keep the president removed.
Who’s pushing for removal
Representative Jamie Raskin (D‑Md.) has proposed legislation to create a commission to evaluate the president’s fitness; about 50 House Democrats have co-sponsored the measure. Support also has come from some figures on the right who have broken with Trump: former Republican Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene called his Iran comment “evil and madness,” and podcaster Candace Owens urged congressional and military intervention, calling him a “genocidal lunatic.” Public concern is growing—an Ipsos/Reuters poll in late February found only 45% of Americans considered Trump “mentally sharp and able to deal with challenges.”
Why some favor the 25th Amendment over impeachment
Impeachment has been tried against Trump before—he is the only president impeached twice—and both articles in his first term ended in acquittal by a Republican-controlled Senate. Some Democrats argue that, with no Republican support for impeachment in the current House, the 25th Amendment is a more feasible route to address immediate incapacity concerns. Raskin told Time magazine that lawmakers lack “the means to engage in the impeachment process” given current political alignments.
Political and practical hurdles
Even if invoked, section 4 allows the president to contest the determination; Congress then would need two-thirds majorities in both chambers to finalize removal. Legal scholars and former officials say invoking the amendment is technically possible but politically unlikely. Mark Graber, a University of Maryland law professor, calls much of the talk “straight-out political,” intended to tie Republicans to Trump. Former national security adviser John Bolton said he doubts invocation is likely, noting Trump’s issue is political self-interest rather than strictly mental incapacity. Retired Lt. Gen. Ben Hodges expressed skepticism that enough Republicans in Congress would have the courage to act.
Bottom line
The 25th Amendment provides a constitutional mechanism to remove a president deemed unable to discharge the office’s duties, but section 4 has never been used. While a congressional commission or cabinet action could trigger the process, the president’s ability to contest and the requirement of two-thirds congressional votes make actual removal difficult absent broad bipartisan agreement. Given current political alignments and Republican support for Trump in many quarters, experts interviewed say invocation appears unlikely even as public concern about his fitness grows.
Edited by: M. Sass, M. Kuebler