Congressional Democrats are pushing for the removal of President Donald Trump, an unusual move considering they earlier rejected similar calls about former President Joe Biden.
Over 50 Democratic members of Congress are urging the Trump administration to invoke the 25th Amendment, arguing that the president is unfit to manage his rhetoric and decisions regarding Iran. The trigger for these demands was Trump’s alarming social media statement that “the entire civilization will perish” if Iran doesn’t agree to reopen the Strait of Hormuz.
“I certainly think the president should be removed from office,” stated Sen. Andy Kim (D-N.J.). He emphasizes that Trump is unfit for his role and suggests that the 25th Amendment may be necessary; failing that, impeachment may be pursued.
However, just under two years prior, Republicans had made a similar case against Biden, which Democrats chose to overlook.
At that time, Sen. Eric Schmitt (R-Missouri) had even written to then-Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Vice President Kamala Harris, calling for the 25th Amendment to be invoked.
“If President Biden does not want to resign, he must do his duty for the good of our great country by releasing him from his constitutional powers and duties,” Schmitt noted.
Currently, only a handful of Senate Democrats are backing the push to oust Trump, with most of the momentum stemming from the House. For Democrats to successfully impeach or remove Trump under the 25th Amendment, they need substantial Republican support. Despite this, House Democratic leadership is still fostering conversation around these topics.
House Judiciary Committee Ranking Member Jamie Raskin (D-Md.) is set to conduct a briefing for the caucus on the workings of the 25th Amendment.
Interestingly, former Trump ally Marjorie Taylor Greene has also joined the calls—on the left—advocating for the 25th Amendment as tensions with Iran heighten.
Back in the summer of 2024, Republicans had similarly sought Biden’s removal following his poor debate performance against Trump and a report suggesting concerns about his cognitive abilities and how he managed classified documents.
“There are a lot of people currently invoking the 25th Amendment and expressing concern about it because this situation is alarming,” remarked House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-Louisiana) at the time.
Johnson added that “our adversaries recognize the weaknesses in the White House,” and he asserted that it’s a “very dangerous situation.”
Democrats quickly rejected the notion that Biden’s mental acuity was declining. Nevertheless, some voiced concerns that he might struggle to beat Trump in a rematch, especially after his disappointing debate showing.
Top Democratic figures, including Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), reportedly have pressed Biden privately to step back, while many others openly urged him to withdraw from the race to allow time for a viable replacement.
Yet, neither have explicitly suggested Biden invoke the 25th Amendment. Recently, though, Pelosi has reignited her calls for Trump to resign through that process.
“Donald Trump’s instability is more evident and more dangerous than ever,” she expressed on social media. “If the Cabinet is unwilling to invoke the 25th Amendment, Republicans must reconvene Congress to end this war.”
So far, Schumer has held back from demanding Trump’s removal.
In a Cabinet meeting back in April, Trump quipped about the potential outcome of revealing his plans regarding Iran, suggesting that his Cabinet might resort to the 25th Amendment against him if he shared too much.
“I can’t tell you what we’re going to do because if I did, I wouldn’t be sitting here very long. What do you call it? The 25th Amendment—they would enact that,” he joked. “It’s shocking they didn’t do that for Biden.”
