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By Jesus Mesa
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President Donald Trump's warning that "a whole civilization will die tonight" in Iran has triggered calls from across the conservative spectrum for Vice President JD Vance to invoke the 25th Amendment and remove him from office.
From former lawmakers to political commentators, the concerns center on Trump's rhetoric escalating toward potential mass casualties and what critics describe as an unhinged approach to the conflict.
Why It Matters
The 25th Amendment allows the vice president and a majority of the Cabinet to declare a president unable to discharge the duties of office.
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The renewed focus follows a series of political controversies and foreign policy flashpoints, most recently the military operation in Iran, that have prompted critics to question Trump's fitness for office. The mechanism has never been used to remove a president.
What To Know
The president's Truth Social post, which began, "A whole civilization will die tonight, never to be brought back again. I don’t want that to happen, but it probably will" immediately saw reaction on social media.
List of Conservatives Calling for 25th Amendment
- Marjorie Taylor Greene, former GOP Representative
- Candace Owens, conservative commentator
- Joe Walsh, former GOP Representative
- Alex Jones, right-wing media figure
- Adam Kinzinger, former GOP Representative
- Ty Cobb, former White House counsel
- Scott McConnell, founding editor of The American Conservative magazine
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Former GOP Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene posted Tuesday morning: "25TH AMENDMENT!!! Not a single bomb has dropped on America. We cannot kill an entire civilization. This is evil and madness."
Conservative commentator Candace Owens echoed the call. "The 25th amendment needs to be invoked. He is a genocidal lunatic. Our Congress and military need to intervene. We are beyond madness," she wrote on X.
Former GOP Representative Joe Walsh also joined the calls. "His Easter morning post. And just 2 days ago, one of his religious advisers compared him to Jesus Christ. He will forever be a stain on this country. And the world. 25th Amendment. Now," Walsh posted on X.
Former GOP Representative Adam Kinzinger posted on X: "This is absolutely insane and 25th amendment grounds in and of itself."
Right-wing media figure Alex Jones also called for removal, asking on his show Monday: "How do we 25th Amendment his ass?" Jones cited concerns about Trump's Iran war strategy and warned of potential nuclear escalation.
The calls reflect deep fractures within the Republican Party over Trump's handling of the Iran conflict. Former Fox News host Tucker Carlson warned Monday night that the administration had exhausted conventional military options and suggested nuclear weapons were the next step, though he has not called specifically for the 25th Amendment.
"If you reach the end of your conventional power, where does that leave you? Oh, with non-conventional power. What's that a euphemism for? Nuclear weapons," Carlson said on his show.
Trump fired back at Carlson on Tuesday morning. "Tucker's a low IQ person that has absolutely no idea what's going on. He calls me all the time; I don't respond to his calls. I don't deal with him. I like dealing with smart people, not fools," he told reporters when asked about Carlson's nuclear war comments.
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Earlier last week, Ty Cobb, who served as White House counsel during Trump's first term, made similar calls. Appearing on The Jim Acosta Show, Cobb said the president is "clearly insane" and questioned why the Cabinet has not invoked the 25th Amendment.
"Given the fact that the Cabinet will not invoke the 25th Amendment for a man who is clearly insane—this war highlights that and these screeds that come out nightly, you know, at 2 a.m. or 4 a.m.—it highlights the level of his insanity and depravity," Cobb said.
Scott McConnell, founding editor of The American Conservative magazine, had also previously urged Vance to announce support for a 25th Amendment transition. "My advice to Vance: announce your support of 25th amendment transition," McConnell wrote Sunday. "Say Chris Murphy or similar will be veep. Announce you will NOT be a candidate in 2028."
Renewed Threats
Trump made the threat Tuesday morning after telling reporters Monday that Iran could be "taken out in one night." His social media post stated: "A whole civilization will die tonight, never to be brought back again. I don't want that to happen, but it probably will."
The president did not specify nuclear weapons would be used, and no credible sources have stated this.
Republican New York Representative Mike Lawler told CNN he did not support "making a whole civilization die," though he backed the administration's military actions against what he called a terrorist regime.
What People Are Saying
Commentator Dominic Michael Tripi took to X Tuesday morning, saying: "The deployment of a nuclear weapon is now a distinct possibility. Madness."
Representative Rashida Tlaib, a Michigan Democrat, wrote on X: "After bombing a school and massacring young girls, the war criminal in the White House is threatening genocide. It's time to invoke the 25th Amendment. This maniac should be removed from office."
Representative Mark Pocan, a Wisconsin Democrat, wrote on X: "25th Amendment RIGHT NOW! Trump is too unhinged, dangerous, and deranged to have the nuclear codes!"
President Donald Trump wrote on Truth Social: "A whole civilization will die tonight, never to be brought back again. I don’t want that to happen, but it probably will. However, now that we have Complete and Total Regime Change, where different, smarter, and less radicalized minds prevail, maybe something revolutionarily wonderful can happen, WHO KNOWS? We will find out tonight, one of the most important moments in the long and complex history of the World. 47 years of extortion, corruption, and death, will finally end. God Bless the Great People of Iran!"
What Happens Next
Vice President Vance said Tuesday morning the United States has "largely accomplished its military objectives" in Iran and expects the conflict to conclude "very shortly."
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