Conservative Co-Founder Urges Vance to Invoke 25th Amendment Against Trump
A prominent conservative figure has publicly called on Vice President JD Vance to invoke a never-before-used constitutional provision to remove President Donald Trump from office. This dramatic appeal comes amid escalating criticism of the administration's handling of the ongoing war with Iran, which has now entered its fourth week without a clear resolution in sight.
The Unprecedented Constitutional Proposal
Scott McConnell, co-founder of The American Conservative magazine, took to social media platform X on Sunday to issue his extraordinary recommendation. "My advice to Vance: Announce your support of 25th amendment transition," McConnell wrote. "Say Chris Murphy or similar will be veep. Announce you will NOT be a candidate in 2028. Use your position, access to the media to explain why this is necessary. Don't resign."
McConnell specifically suggested appointing Democratic Senator Chris Murphy as vice president in this hypothetical scenario, describing him as an antiwar figure who is "smart and not super woke." While McConnell's initial post did not explicitly mention the Iran conflict, he has consistently voiced opposition to the military action in the Middle East through multiple public statements.
The Constitutional Mechanism
Section 4 of the 25th Amendment provides a constitutional pathway for the vice president and a majority of cabinet secretaries to declare the president unfit to serve and remove them from office. While other sections of the amendment have been utilized for temporary power transfers during presidential medical procedures, this specific removal clause has never been invoked in American history.
McConnell expanded on his proposal in a follow-up post, suggesting that Secretary of State Marco Rubio could potentially join Vance's effort while maintaining his position. According to McConnell, Rubio could "keep his job, negotiate a ceasefire and be the GOP frontrunner" in future elections.
Historical Context of 25th Amendment Calls
This is not the first time critics have advocated for using the 25th Amendment against President Trump. During his first administration, similar calls emerged following several high-profile incidents:
- The January 2021 storming of the U.S. Capitol by Trump supporters
- The 2018 midterm elections when Democrats regained control of the House of Representatives
More recently, in January of this year, several Democratic lawmakers including Massachusetts Senator Ed Markey and Representatives Yassamin Ansari of Arizona, Eric Swalwell of California, and Sydney Kamlager-Dove of California advocated for the amendment's use. This followed President Trump's threatening message to Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre regarding the White House's campaign to acquire Greenland.
Vance's Position and Political Implications
Vice President Vance, who has been an outspoken critic of past American military engagements overseas, reportedly expressed doubts to President Trump about entering into conflict with Iran. The ongoing war is likely to become a defining element of the Trump administration's legacy and could significantly influence the 2028 presidential race, where Vance is widely considered a leading Republican contender.
President Trump has claimed that the United States and Tehran are engaged in "productive conversations" about ending hostilities, though Iranian leadership has dismissed these assertions as "fake news." The Independent has reached out to the White House for comment on McConnell's proposal, but no response has been received at this time.
The unprecedented nature of this conservative-led call for presidential removal through constitutional means highlights the deepening divisions within Republican circles regarding the administration's foreign policy direction, particularly concerning the protracted conflict in Iran that shows no immediate signs of resolution.
