A growing number of lawmakers are calling for the 25th Amendment to be invoked to oust President Trump from office after he told Norway’s prime minister that his stance on buying Greenland was tied to not winning the Nobel Peace Prize and that he no longer felt obligated to “purely think about peace.”
The high-profile exchange took place on January 18, when Norwegian leader Jonas Gahr Store sent a text message to Trump on behalf of himself and Finnish President Alexander Stubb. The message from European leaders comes as they seek to “de-escalate” the conflict over Greenland and the latest tariff threats against the U.S.’s European allies.
Within half an hour, Trump responded, writing: “Given your country’s decision not to award me the Nobel Peace Prize for stopping eight wars, I no longer feel obligated to think purely about peace, although peace will always prevail, but I can think about what is good and right for the United States of America.”
The Nobel Peace Prize is awarded not by the Norwegian government but by the Norwegian Nobel Committee. The five members of the commission are appointed by the country’s parliament.
Trump doubled down on his intention to “buy” Greenland, writing: “The world is not safe unless we have complete control of Greenland. Thank you!” and signed “DJT President.”
Sen. Ed Markey, D-Mass., is one of several members of Congress calling for the 25th Amendment to be used to remove Trump from office. “Invoking the 25th Amendment,” Markey posted on X, along with a headline image of unusual text messages between Trump and Store. Other Democratic House members, such as Reps. Eric Swalwell, Sydney Kamlager-Dove and Yassamin Ansari, have also called for invoking the 25th Amendment to remove Trump.
How did the 25th Amendment come about?
It dates back to 1963, when Vice President Lyndon B. Johnson became president following the assassination of John F. Kennedy. There are no plans to choose Johnson’s successor, and there are concerns about what the process will be like if he becomes ill or incapacitated before a new vice president is named. In 1965, Congress formally proposed the 25th Amendment, which became part of the Constitution in February 1967.
The 25th Amendment has four parts. The first three items clarify the presidential line of succession and who can temporarily assume presidential duties. Section 4 gets the most attention: Declaring a president “unable to discharge the powers and duties of his office” by the vice president and cabinet is a multi-step process.
How will it work?
Invoking Section 4 of the 25th Amendment would require Vice President J.D. Vance and a majority of Trump’s Cabinet to submit a declaration to Congress that Trump is unable to discharge the powers and duties of his office. Doing so would mean an immediate transfer of presidential power to Vance, who would serve as acting president. Trump will have a chance to rebut the statement, which could then be challenged by his Cabinet. Congress will have 21 days from the date of receipt of the declaration to formally approve any decision to remove Trump from office.
Trump would need a two-thirds majority vote in both the House and Senate to be removed from office. Otherwise, he will regain presidential power.
Has the 25th Amendment been used before?
When Richard Nixon resigned as president in 1974 and was succeeded by Vice President Gerald Ford, he invoked the first part of the 25th Amendment. Section 2 was used when Gerald Ford was president, nominating Nelson Rockefeller as vice president and having him confirmed in the House and Senate.
Part 3 was used in 1985 when Ronald Reagan underwent a brief cancer surgery and Vice President George HW Bush took over his duties. In 2002 and 2007, George W. Bush invoked Title 3 while undergoing medical procedures, and then-Vice President Dick Cheney became acting president.
Part 4 was never used because the process was very challenging. Under the 25th Amendment, using Article 4 to remove a president is more difficult than the impeachment process.
What is the difference between impeachment and invoking the 25th Amendment?
The purpose of seeking to impeach a president from office is to address potential “treason, bribery, or other high crimes and misdemeanors.”
A simple majority is needed in the House to vote on articles of impeachment, which are formal written charges against a president. After the trial, the Senate will vote on whether to convict and remove the president, which requires a two-thirds vote. The Senate can vote to bar the president from future office in a separate proceeding, which requires a simple majority vote.
Trump was impeached twice during his first term. The first time was on December 18, 2019, for initiating foreign interference in the 2020 presidential election, and the second time was on January 13, 2021, following the attack on the U.S. Capitol on January 6. In each case, he was acquitted on all counts by the Senate and remained in office.
If the movement grew to the point of invoking the 25th Amendment to remove Trump due to his inability or inability to perform the duties of the President, invoking the amendment would require a two-thirds vote of the House and Senate. The president is not barred from holding future office.
