Former President Donald Trump recently called for modifications to the 25th Amendment to allow for the removal of a vice president who lies or engages in a conspiracy to cover up the incapacity of the president. This move by Trump is seen as a political non-starter and is seen as the latest escalation of his attacks on President Joe Biden and the Democratic party. Trump made these remarks during a campaign rally in Mosinee, Wisconsin, where he accused Vice President Kamala Harris and other top Democrats of covering up Biden’s decline in mental fitness. He stated that such actions are grounds for immediate impeachment and removal from office.
Following Biden’s poor performance in a June debate and his subsequent decision to end his presidential campaign, Trump and his Republican allies have been focusing on accusing Vice President Harris and other Democrats of covering up the decline in the president’s mental fitness. Harris’s campaign declined to comment on Trump’s remarks, but she has continued to defend Biden and his mental capacity. She asserted in a recent CNN interview that Biden has the intelligence, commitment, judgment, and disposition that the American people deserve in their president.
Trump’s proposal to modify the 25th Amendment comes amid the changing dynamics of the 2024 presidential race. He has been struggling to land on a consistent message to counter Harris’s momentum and has continued to criticize Biden. At a recent rally, Trump mocked Biden’s performance at the State of the Union and their June debate, calling the people in charge “stupid, stupid people.” The 25th Amendment outlines presidential succession and the process for removing a president but does not address the removal of a vice president. Modifying the Constitution requires the approval of three-fourths of US states.
Impeachment is a separate process that does not require amending the Constitution. It involves a simple majority vote in the House to adopt articles of impeachment and a two-thirds vote in the Senate to convict. Trump was impeached twice by the House during his first term but was not removed from office by the Senate. Trump’s call to alter the 25th Amendment echoes past calls to remove him from office. After the January 6, 2021, attack on the US Capitol, some members of his Cabinet reportedly discussed using the 25th Amendment to remove him from office, highlighting the political tension surrounding this issue.
In conclusion, Trump’s move to modify the 25th Amendment is seen as a political maneuver to attack President Biden and Vice President Harris. The amendment is crucial for presidential succession and the process of removing a president from office but does not address the removal of a vice president. The call to alter the Constitution requires significant support from US states. Impeachment remains a separate process, with Trump facing two impeachments during his first term. The political tensions surrounding the 25th Amendment highlight the divisive nature of American politics and the ongoing power struggle between different factions within the government.
