Regardless of whether U.S. President Trump delivers on his latest war crime threat—"A whole civilization will die tonight, never to be brought back again”—he has triggered the terms of the 25th Amendment, to have himself constitutionally removed from office. Rep. Ro Khanna demanded that Congress reconvene immediately to take action. He posted: “We need to invoke the 25th Amendment and remove Trump. Threatening war crimes is a blatant violation of our constitution and the Geneva Conventions.” His accompanying video statement stated: “If the United States Congress has any life left in it, every member of Congress and Senator must be calling for Trump’s removal today, based on the 25th Amendment. He is threatening the entire destruction of a civilization. He is calling Iranians ‘animals.’ He is showing a total disregard for the humanity for people in Iran, in Gaza, in Cuba. This is a moral crime. This is a war crime. We need to be demanding that Congress convene today, and we need to be invoking the 25th Amendment.”
Rep. Diana DeGette posted: “Donald Trump is openly threatening war crimes against the entirety of Iranian civilization. 25th Amendment proceedings must begin immediately, but if the Cabinet is too cowardly, the House should begin the impeachment process now.”
Sen. Ed Markey posted that Trump’s threat to a “whole civilization” was “completely unstable and perilous.” He said: “The House must bring up impeachment articles, and the Senate needs to remove a president who wants to commit war crimes. We cannot sit idly by as Donald Trump threatens to end an entire civilization.”
Prior to Trump’s latest apocalyptic pronouncement, several voices had already raised the immediacy of the 25th Amendment action. Rep. Yassamin Ansari stated: “Donald Trump’s deranged statements—including one on Easter Sunday—are further entrenching our country and our world in another devastating, never-ending war. He’s threatening war crimes that violate U.S. law and the Geneva Convention, on top of illegal actions and atrocities already committed at his direction—including violence that has destroyed schools, hospitals, and critical civilian infrastructure. Republicans must join us in calling on the president to end this suicidal war before it is too late. So much is at stake, and those who continue to follow him blindly will have blood on their hands as well.
“As the daughter of Iranian immigrants who fled this regime, and as an American Congresswoman who swore an oath to the United States Constitution, I know that this cannot go on. The 25th Amendment exists for a reason; his Cabinet should use it. The fate of U.S. troops, the Iranian people, and the very foundation of our global system are at stake.”
She added that, when Congress reconvenes next week, she will introduce “Articles of Impeachment against Pete Hegseth for repeatedly violating his oath of office and his duty to the Constitution. Only Congress has the power to declare war, not a rogue president or his lackeys. Hegseth’s reckless endangerment of U.S. servicemembers and repeated war crimes, including bombing a girls’ school in Minab, Iran and willfully targeting civilian infrastructure, are grounds for impeachment and removal from office.”
Rep. Ilhan Omar reposted Trump’s “Open the f——’ Strait” from Easter Sunday and commented: “This is not ok. Invoke the 25th amendment. Impeach. Remove. This unhinged lunatic must be removed from office.” Rep. Mark Pocan posted: “25th Amendment RIGHT NOW! Trump is too unhinged, dangerous, and deranged to have the nuclear codes!” Additionally, Reps. Rashida Tlaib and Shri Thanedar, as well as former Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, each called for the 25th Amendment to be used to remove Trump.
