In the latest round of political theatrics out of Washington, dozens of congressional Democrats are calling for President Donald Trump to be removed from office following his recent warning to Iran. Their tool of choice? The 25th Amendment — a rarely used constitutional measure that, in theory, allows a president to be removed if deemed unable to carry out the job.
The outrage stems from a post on Truth Social, where Trump warned that a “whole civilization will die tonight” unless Iran complies with demands to reopen the Strait of Hormuz. Naturally, Democrats wasted no time sounding the alarm, claiming this is evidence the president is unfit to serve. Because, of course, strong language in foreign policy is suddenly a new concept in Washington.
But here’s where things get interesting — not even all Democrats are buying what their own side is selling.
Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse openly acknowledged what many already suspected: invoking the 25th Amendment against Trump is simply “not realistic.” Despite echoing concerns from critics, he admitted the obvious logistical roadblock — the process would require Vice President JD Vance and a majority of Trump’s Cabinet to turn against him. And yes, that’s about as likely as Congress suddenly agreeing on anything without a fight.
Whitehouse went even further, criticizing what he called a Cabinet of loyalists and Republican “spines of foam,” before conceding that Democrats would have to “win this the old-fashioned way.” Translation: the numbers just aren’t there, and they know it.
And the numbers matter. Even if, somehow, the Cabinet acted, Congress would still need a two-thirds vote in both chambers to remove the president — a threshold that makes impeachment look like the easy route. Not to mention, the 25th Amendment has never been used to forcibly remove a sitting president in U.S. history.
In reality, this push looks less like a serious constitutional effort and more like political posturing. Trump continues to take a hard stance on the global stage, while his opponents scramble to turn rhetoric into a crisis narrative.
At the end of the day, the situation highlights a familiar pattern: strong leadership gets labeled as instability by critics, while supporters see it as exactly what the country needs. And if history is any guide, Trump isn’t going anywhere — at least not through wishful thinking in Washington.
