NAACP calls for never-before-used rule that would remove Trump as president
Donald Trump's apocalyptic warning to destroy the whole of Iran and its people has got politicians calling for his removal from office.
Before today's ceasefire was agreed between Iran and the US, President Trump wrote on Truth Social on Tuesday (7 April) that 'a whole civilisation will die tonight, never to be brought back again'.
"I don’t want that to happen, but it probably will," the 79-year-old, who has been calling for the Strait of Hormuz to reopen, said.
Last night, just a couple of hours after Trump's supposed deadline, the two countries reached a two-week ceasefire agreement with the condition that the Strait reopens.
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Trump said on Truth Social that he 'agrees to suspend the bombing and attack of Iran for a period of two weeks'.
Following the remarks made yesterday, the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) has issued a scathing statement about Trump and want to invoke the 25th Amendment. It's the first time the organisation has called for this in its 117-year history.
"This president is unfit, unwell, and unhinged," said Derrick Johnson, President and CEO of the NAACP.
"The rhetoric and behavior we are witnessing from Trump isn't just alarming, it's dangerous.
"When the person entrusted with the highest office in the land demonstrates a disregard for truth, stability, and the well-being of the American people, it's a threat to the entire nation and the world. Trump must be immediately removed from office."
What is the 25th Amendment?
The 25th Amendment to the United States Constitution explains what happens if a US president dies, resigns or becomes unable to carry out their duties.
It states that the vice-president becomes president if the office becomes vacant and allows a new vice-president to be appointed, with approval from Congress.
The amendment also allows a president to temporarily transfer power to the vice-president, and for the vice-president to declare the president unable to serve.
How has the 25th Amendment been used in the past and how does it work?
Section 4 of the Amendment allows the vice-president and a majority of the Cabinet to declare the president unfit for office. It can also be triggered by the vice-president and the majority of another body created by Congress.
The president can argue that he is fit to serve and resume his duties, but the vice-president and the Cabinet can also reaffirm their own position within four days, taking the matter to Congress.
With the support of two-thirds of Congress, Section 4 can be used to permanently strip a president of their power.
This aspect of the 25th Amendment has never been used.
However, Section 1, which states the vice-president takes over if the president is removed from office, dies or resigns, has been used multiple times.
It was used when Richard Nixon resigned in 1974 following the Watergate scandal, with vice-president Gerald R. Ford becoming president.
It was used most recently in 2021, when Biden briefly transferred power to vice-president Kamala Harris when he had to undergo a routine colonoscopy, which involved anaesthesia.
How likely is it that the 25th Amendment could be used against Trump?
Since Trump enjoys the support of vice-president J.D. Vance and his cabinet, it's unlikely the 25th Amendment would be used.
Michael J. Gerhardt, a University of North Carolina law professor, told PolitiFact: "The 25th Amendment has a limited focus on whether a president is physically or mentally incapable of doing his job
"The 25th Amendment is not a remedy for misconduct that the president might have committed."
White House spokesperson Davis Ingle told the outlet: "President Trump is working tirelessly on behalf of the American people to fulfill his commonsense America First agenda that nearly 80 million people elected him for."
Who else wants Trump out?
Sen. Ed Markey, D-Mass wrote on X that 'The House must pass articles of impeachment, and then the Senate must vote to convict and remove the President. Or, the cabinet and Vice President, with congressional concurrence, must invoke the 25th Amendment and remove Trump'.
“We need to invoke the 25th Amendment and remove Trump,” added Rep. Ro Khanna.
“Threatening war crimes is a blatant violation of our constitution and the Geneva Conventions.”
Without naming Trump, United Nations secretary general António Guterres' spokesperson said that 'no military objective' justified the 'wholesale destruction of a society’s infrastructure or the deliberate infliction of suffering on civilian populations'.
LADbible Group has contacted the White House for comment.
Topics: Donald Trump, Iran, US News, Politics
Anish Vij