Pelosi Suggests Using 25th Amendment To Remove Trump From Office Before Election

October 8, 2020
25th amendment

On Thursday, Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi implied that she is looking at removing President Donald Trump from power  using the U.S. Constitution’s 25th Amendment.

Pelosi said to reporters during a press briefing, “Tomorrow, by the way, tomorrow — come here tomorrow. We’re going to be talking about the 25th Amendment.”

Pelosi’s comments come after her Democratic House already impeached the President, though the Senate declined to convict.

RELATED: What If Trump Becomes Too Ill? Here’s What Happened When Past Presidents Had Emergencies

The Purpose Of The 25th Amendment To The U.S. Constitution

Using the 25th Amendment to essentially undo the 2016 presidential election has been a topic of discussion among Democrats and Never Trump Republicans since Trump first stepped into the White House.

Enacted in 1967, the purpose of the 25th Amendment was two fold:

  • To ensure that the United States has an Acting President in times when the duly-elected president can no longer lead, due to death, illness, or some other factors.
  • To set in stone the line of succession.

For example, when President Ronald Reagan underwent surgery in 1985 and Vice President George H.W. Bush was Acting President for that time.

George W. Bush also transferred power to Vice President Dick Cheney while Bush underwent surgery.

Section 4 of the 25th Amendment allows for Congress and the Vice President to remove the President from power. From History.com:

Section 4 stipulates that when the vice president and a majority of a body of Congress declare in writing to the president pro tempore of the Senate and the Speaker of the House that the president is unable to perform the duties of the office, the vice president immediately becomes acting president.

Pelosi appears to be looking at this section of the 25th Amendment.

President Pelosi?

Speaker Pelosi’s mention of the 25th Amendment comes not just after impeachment, but also amid speculation that Pelosi herself could become Acting President in the event of election chaos.

The possibility of her becoming president has been raised by many including Pelosi herself.

It is unlikely, but possible, that if the issues with the election leave no clear winner, and if the House is unable to reach a conclusion before January 20, 2021, Pelosi could become Acting President.

25th Amendment Interest Rose After First Couple’s COVID-19 Diagnosis

After it was announced that President Trump and First Lady Melania were diagnosed with COVID-19 last week, interest in the 25th Amendment rose online.

CBS News reported, “(T)he news of his positive coronavirus test drove an immediate surge in Google searches for the 25th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, which lays out the succession for the executive branch should the president be incapacitated or deemed unable to carry out the duties of the presidency. ”

RELATED: Pelosi Signals She Is Prepared To Become Acting President If Election Descends Into Chaos

When White House communications director Alyssa Farah was asked if Vice President Mike Pence might have to become Acting President while Trump was at Walter Reed, she replied, “The president is in charge.”

Still, the pattern of trying to remove Trump from office and defy the results of the 2016 election are clear.

The Democrats spent most of Trump’s first term impeaching him.

Pelosi even threatened to advance impeachment a second time over Trump’s nomination of Amy Coney Barrett to the Supreme Court.

Now, Pelosi is talking about using the 25th Amendment.

Their mission since the 2016 election ended has been to undo its results.

If they care to be honest, Democrats might want to change the name of their party because their respect for democracy is at an all-time low.

That change is about as likely as President Nancy Pelosi ever happening.

By John Hanson

is a professional writer and editor with over 15 years of experience in conservative media and Republican politics. He... More about John Hanson

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