In 1967, U.S. lawmakers ratified the 25th constitutional amendment to define the steps to follow in case of extraordinary circumstances to facilitate a transfer of powers. The fourth section, which has never been invoked, reads as follows: "If the Vice President and a majority of the principal officers of the executive departments, or of any other body as Congress may by law provide, transmit to the President pro tempore of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives their written declaration that the President is unable to discharge the powers and duties of his office, the Vice President shall immediately assume the powers and duties of the office as Acting President." The possibility of something like this happening soon is very, very slim, but the fact that it is currently one of the main topics of discussion in Washington, bringing together the Democratic opposition and some of the main figures of the MAGA world, encapsulates the current drift well.
Congressmen, senators, but also some of the most powerful conservative conspirators and influencers in the country believe that Donald Trump has lost his mind and that his threats to end "an entire civilization" in the next few hours are the last red line. They had distanced themselves with the Epstein case, with the decision to attack Iran in general, but now they go further and calls for impeachment of the president are multiplying, a political trial for Congress to remove him (something attempted twice in his first term) or directly for the vice president to assume power.
"WAR CRIME ALERT!! Trump has said that 'An entire civilization will die tonight, never to return'. The definition of genocide is to destroy an entire civilization/people! Trump literally sounds like a deranged supervillain from a Marvel movie. THIS IS NOT WHAT WE VOTED FOR!!", denounced Alex Jones, a presenter and podcaster with millions of followers who was convicted of harassing families of children killed in a school massacre, after years of claiming that it never happened, and who has been exploring in his show in recent hours how to remove the president. "We must confront Trump and let him pretend he is president... say he is going through a health problem and let Vance take over," proposed his guest Robert Barnes.
"The 25th Amendment must be invoked. He is a lunatic genocidal. Our Congress and our armed forces must intervene. This is madness," urged Candace Owens, another prominent figure in the MAGA universe and also a spreader of the most incredible conspiracies. Including the claim that Emmanuel Macron's wife is transgender, for which she has been denounced.
In record time, Trump has lost the support of some essential figures to understand his triumph, such as Tucker Carlson, Ann Coulter, Megyn Kelly, or Joe Rogan. On Monday's episode of The Tucker Carlson Show, Carlson, a personal friend of Trump until a few weeks ago when insults and threats began, criticized the president and urged high-ranking officials not to follow illegal orders.
Ann Coulter, a prominent conservative journalist for the past 20 years, denounced Trump's actions as potential war crimes and called for his immediate removal from office. Anthony Scaramoucci, a former high-ranking official in the first Trump administration, also urged for Trump's removal, stating that he is "calling for a nuclear attack." Steve Bannon, a former Trump advisor and right-wing figure, has not commented on the 25th amendment but has been linked to advocating for Trump's removal from office in the past.
The chances of invoking the 25th amendment are very slim, as it would require a two-thirds majority in both chambers of Congress. Democrats have been calling for the invocation of the 25th amendment, citing concerns over Trump's mental state and actions.
Some have even suggested the impeachment of Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth. Democratic leaders have expressed serious concerns about Trump's behavior and have called for a psychological evaluation.