More than 70 Democrats in Congress are calling for President Donald Trump’s removal after his threats against Iran and his handling of the military operation there, with many now pushing impeachment or a move under the 25th Amendment. On Tuesday, Trump announced a two-week ceasefire with Iran, but the pressure on him in Washington only sharpened after he warned that a “whole civilization” would be destroyed if Tehran did not strike a deal by 8 p.m.
Rep. John Larson on Tuesday filed articles of impeachment against Trump over the Iran conflict, adding a formal step to a campaign that had already gathered steam among rank-and-file Democrats. Rep. Sarah McBride wrote on X that Trump must go, while Sen. Andy Kim said in a video clip on X that Trump is “not fit to be commander in chief.”
McBride argued that a president could not be allowed to threaten genocide with the U.S. military and said threats of war crimes and disregard for human life had to be met with accountability under the law. Kim said impeachment starts in the House and added that he did not expect Speaker Mike Johnson to “grow a spine overnight.” He also said Trump’s loyalists cared more about protecting their seats and jobs than the rule of law, the Constitution or the will of the people.
Read Also: Donald Trump Spurs Dow Jones Industrial Average 0.3% Gain Ahead
Shri Thanedar took a different route, sending a letter directly to Vice President Vance and other members of Trump’s Cabinet urging them to invoke the 25th Amendment. That move would require the vice president and a majority of the Cabinet to declare the president unable to carry out the powers and duties of office, and any dispute over that judgment would then go to Congress for possible approval by a two-thirds vote of both chambers.
Democrats do not have the votes to force either outcome. The minority party lacks the numbers for impeachment or for removal under the 25th Amendment, and Democratic leaders in Congress this week stopped short of backing the calls for Trump’s ouster. House Democrats have also been wary of the message impeachment could send in swing districts ahead of a competitive election cycle.
Read Also: James Carville Predicts Republicans Will Get Trounced in November
The split is not new. Most House Democrats previously voted with Republicans to block impeachment resolutions by Rep. Al Green, even as calls for action built outside leadership circles. Larson’s filing now gives the latest push a formal vehicle, but the real test remains whether Democratic leaders are willing to turn rising anger into a party-wide effort. For now, they have not.
