More than 70 members of Congress demanded the president’s removal in two days. The NAACP — the nation’s largest civil rights organization — called for invoking the 25th Amendment for the first time in its 116-year history. A former White House counsel under Trump himself called him mentally unfit on live television.
All of this happened in one week — between Easter Sunday and a ceasefire with Iran.
What happened April 7
On the 40th day of war with Iran, Trump issued a public ultimatum to Tehran: open the Strait of Hormuz by 8 p.m. or the U.S. would destroy power plants and bridges. On Truth Social, he wrote that “an entire civilization will die tonight.”
Two hours before the deadline, with Pakistan mediating, both sides announced a two-week ceasefire. Iran agreed to resume ship passage through the strait. Trump presented this as the result of pressure.
The ceasefire lowered the crisis temperature. But the language about destroying civilization triggered a separate process — a constitutional one.
Congressional response
Senators spoke first. Ed Markey demanded either impeachment or use of the 25th Amendment. Chris Murphy wrote that no competent president would publicly threaten to destroy an entire people.
In the House of Representatives, Congressman John Larson introduced articles of impeachment — Trump’s third. Ro Khanna called the threats a violation of the Geneva Conventions. Nancy Pelosi demanded Congress return from recess.
More than 70 members of Congress publicly called for removal. All were Democrats.
Voices beyond the party
The NAACP demanded use of the 25th Amendment on April 7 — the first time in the organization’s history. NAACP President Derrick Johnson called Trump “unfit, unhealthy and uncontrollable.”
Ty Cobb, White House counsel during Trump’s first term, said on air that the cabinet refuses to apply the amendment to someone who is “obviously mentally incompetent.”
Iranian embassies worldwide distributed statements urging the American cabinet to “seriously consider Section 4.”
White House position
The administration responded on two fronts.
First — results. Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said military pressure forced Iran to negotiate and agree to open the strait. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth stressed that 50,000 American troops remain in the region ready to resume operations. Markets responded to the ceasefire with gains — the Dow Jones added 1,325 points in one day.
Second — refusing to take the discussion seriously. Press Secretary Davis Ingle repeated the standard formula: “The president works for the American people, implementing the agenda for which 80 million people elected him.” The White House called removal attempts “pathetic.”
Trump was aware of the issue long before the current wave. At a cabinet meeting March 26, discussing Iran plans, he mentioned the 25th Amendment himself — with a smirk. Later he said directly: “Zero risk.”
How the mechanism works
Section 4 of the 25th Amendment allows the vice president and a majority of the cabinet to declare in writing that the president is unable to discharge duties. Powers transfer to the vice president immediately. If the president contests the decision, Congress votes — confirming removal requires two-thirds of both chambers.
The amendment was ratified in 1967, after Kennedy’s assassination. Section 4 has never been used involuntarily. Voluntary transfer of power — during medical procedures — happened under Reagan, Bush and Biden. Each time for several hours.
Law professor Michael Gerhardt of the University of North Carolina points to a fundamental limitation: the amendment was created for situations of physical or mental incapacity. Political decisions — even the most controversial — do not fall into this category.
What stands in the way
Only people appointed by the president himself can trigger the 25th Amendment. Vice President JD Vance is a Trump ally and likely 2028 candidate. The cabinet was formed for loyalty. At meetings, secretaries publicly support the president’s course — PBS and Axios describe this as a consistent behavior pattern.
Impeachment is an alternative path, but with its own barrier. The House can vote for charges by simple majority. Conviction and removal requires 67 Senate votes. Republicans control both chambers.
Within the Democratic Party itself, there is no consensus. According to Time, leadership urges against launching impeachment before November’s midterm elections. The logic: if the party gains a House majority, the procedure would stop being symbolic.
Context
Talk of the 25th Amendment under Trump is not new. After the January 6, 2021 Capitol assault, several congressmen demanded its use — then-Vice President Mike Pence refused. In January 2026, after an attempt to annex Greenland, Senator Markey raised the issue again — it went no further than statements.
Now the scale is different. More than 70 public demands from Congress members. The first statement in NAACP history. Former Trump associates speaking against him openly. Foreign governments quoting the American Constitution.
The two-week ceasefire with Iran holds tenuously — the strait remains closed, Israel attacks Lebanon, negotiations continue in Islamabad. Seven months until midterm elections. The 25th Amendment remains in the conversation.