Democrats strategize removing Trump from office to stop Iran war

House Republicans on Thursday blocked Democrats from introducing a resolution to end the war in Iran, but liberals are considering a more decisive way to end the conflict: removing President Trump from office under the 25th Amendment.

Democrats plan to meet in a virtual briefing Friday to discuss “the Trump administration’s accountability and the 25th Amendment,” according to an invitation issued this week by Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries.

The New York Democrat told MS NOW’s left-leaning “Morning Joe,” “I don’t think he’s stable,” referring to Mr. Trump. Mr. Jeffries said the entire Democratic caucus will be briefed on “the various accountability mechanisms available to us, or should I say, available to the country, including but not limited to the 25th Amendment.”

The 25th Amendment includes a never-invoked provision that would remove the president from office if the vice president and a majority of the Cabinet deemed him incapacitated. The power of the presidency would be transferred to the vice president.

The Washington Times has contacted the White House for reaction.

Democrats are increasing calls to end Mr. Trump’s presidency as the war in Iran continues and an attempted ceasefire threatens to collapse.

Democrats point to Mr. Trump’s Easter weekend messages, in which he threatened “an entire civilization will die” if the Iranians fail to negotiate a ceasefire by Tuesday evening. The threat was lifted after the Iranians agreed to a deal in principle.

Democrats are also considering impeachment, which they voted for twice in 2019 and 2021.

The party is just a few votes away from a majority, and political analysts say it is favored to win back the House gavel and possibly control of the Senate in November.

Mr. Jeffries said he had not “ruled out” a third impeachment of Mr. Trump and boasted that the party had “managed to leave town” with former Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem and Attorney General Pam Bondi.

Mr. Jeffries said Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, who he said is unqualified, “is next, and we’re going to keep our foot on the gas to push this guy out.”

Democrats were interrupted in the House on Thursday when they tried to introduce a resolution that would require Mr. Trump to seek authorization from Congress to continue military action in Iran.

Rep. Chris Smith, a New Jersey Republican who was acting as chairman pro tempore, brought down the gavel and cut off the microphones before Democrats could bring up the measure.

“The pro forma speaker ignored us, which was a tragedy, but we will continue to fight this,” Virginia Democratic Rep. Don Beyer said.

Mr. Beyer was among a small group of liberal Democrats who gathered on the Capitol steps after the brief pro forma session. They described Mr. Trump as a madman who must be stopped and said they only needed a few Democrats to pass the war authorization measure.

“These are not normal times, America,” said Representative Madeleine Dean, a Pennsylvania Democrat who served as manager in one of Mr. Trump’s previous impeachments. “When will my Republican colleagues stand up in the House, in the Senate, the vice president, the cabinet secretaries who surround this madman?

Democrats also tried to have Mr. Trump removed from office years ago under the 25th Amendment.

When they took control of the House in January 2021, they passed a resolution calling on Vice President Mike Pence to assume presidential power.

Rep. Jamie Raskin, Democrat of Maryland, introduced the resolution and said Mr. Trump had shown he was incapable of carrying out the duties of the presidency, including defending democracy, following the Jan. 6, 2021, riot at the Capitol.

The resolution came to nothing and Mr. Trump served his few remaining days in office.