Last call for the 25th Amendment? Trump's Cabinet won't depose him -- but they should

[marmar]

Last call for the 25th Amendment? Trump's Cabinet won't depose him — but they should
Trump's cabinet members have one last chance to save the republic and redeem themselves. Of course they won't

KIRK SWEARINGEN
AUGUST 26, 2020 11:00AM (UTC)


(Salon) The president of the United States is relentlessly threatening the right of citizens to exercise their right to vote. He is also saying that he might not leave office if he loses the election, and that the election is "rigged" — unless he wins. He also spends most of his days watching television, raging, fulminating, lying, demanding loyalty of those around him, demeaning his political opponents and trading in conspiracy theories, while creating chaos instead of a plan to address a pandemic that could take 300,000 American lives by the end of the year.

Is such a person fit for this office? Any office?

As has been the case every single day from the beginning of this horrific tweet-fest mockery of a presidency: It's 25th Amendment time.

No, of course it won't happen — not with the loyalist, anti-democratic ideologues the president has methodically surrounded himself with in his cabinet, likely to this very purpose. But by any objective (i.e., non-cultist) view it should happen — before the upcoming election is further thrown into chaos to frighten off voters.

It won't happen. But we would fail our duty to this country if we did not pause to note this fearful moment in time, did not look again at the purpose of this critical amendment, and did not call out the Trump administration's cabinet members who failed to take this step to protect an election and save this democratic republic. .............(more)

https://www.salon.com/2020/08/26/last-call-for-the-25th-amendment-trumps-cabinet-wont-depose-him--but-they-should/

[Paladin]

1. If trump doesn't deserve 25th Am. removal, it's a useless provision. (nt)

[dansolo]

3. It's not meant for someone like Trump

The 25th amendment came about to cover a situation where the president was incapacitated, like from a stroke, but was not dead. In order to prevent it from being abused, if a President we're to have this used against them, they have the opportunity to contest it. Then it would require a 2/3 vote in both houses to remove the President, which is an even higher threshold than impeachment.

[chriscan64]

2. Original Cabinet had cause to invoke it early on.

The amendment and impeachment count on others doing the right thing. There is no recourse if the Senate and Cabinet can ignore unfitness or crimes and let a president this bad stay in office. I cannot imagine a president so bad that these measures are employed unless there are no policy advantages or blocks of voters to be had.