Amendment 25: Presidential Disability and Succession

            The topic of discussion for this Constitution Monday is Amendment 25 to the U.S. Constitution. The title of this Amendment is “Presidential Disability and Succession.” It was proposed on July 6, 1965, and ratified on February 10, 1967. Section 3 was used after President Ronald Reagan was shot and while he was in surgery and recovery. As Section 4 is relevant to our current day, I am including the entire amendment as follows.

1. In case of the removal of the President [Donald Trump] from office or of his death or resignation, the Vice President [Mike Pence] shall become President.

2. Whenever there is a vacancy in the office of the Vice President, the President shall nominate a Vice President who shall take office upon confirmation by a majority vote of both Houses of Congress.

3. Whenever the President transmits to the President pro tempore of the Senate [Senator Orin Hatch] and the Speaker of the House of Representatives [Representative Paul Ryan] his written declaration that he is unable to discharge the powers and duties of his office, and until he transmits to them a written declaration to the contrary, such powers and duties shall be discharged by the Vice President as Acting President.

4. Whenever the Vice President and a majority of either the principal officers of the executive department or of such other body as Congress may by law provide, transmit to the President pro tempore of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives their written declaration that the President is unable to discharge the powers and duties of his office, the Vice President shall immediately assume the powers and duties of the office as Acting President.

Thereafter, when the President transmits to the President pro tempore of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives his written declaration that no inability exists, he shall resume the powers and duties of his office unless the Vice President and a majority of either the principal officers of the executive department or of such other body as Congress may by law provide, transmit within four days to the President pro tempore of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives their written declaration that the President is unable to discharge the powers and duties of his office. Thereupon Congress shall decide the issue, assembling within forty-eight hours for that purpose if not in session. If the Congress, within twenty-one days after receipt of the latter written declaration, or, if Congress is not in session, within twenty-one days after Congress is required to assemble, determines by two-thirds vote of both Houses that the President is unable to discharge the powers and duties of his office, the Vice President shall continue to discharge the same as Acting President; otherwise, the President shall resume the powers and duties of his office.

            This amendment is relative to the present time because liberals want to use Section 4 to remove Donald Trump from the office of President of the United States. The President’s opponents wish to have him “declared incompetent because they say he concentrates so much on his tweets and doesn’t properly take care of his presidential duties.” 

  

            Section 4 is meant to be used in cases of injury, stroke, dementia, or other illness of the President. Liberals wish to use it to escape from dealing with Donald Trump. They wish to have the President declared crazy because he is driving them crazy – as illustrated by performances by Nancy Pelosi, Maxine Waters, John McCain, etc.

            Numerous people are calling for this amendment to be invoked to remove Trump, including television hosts, newspaper columnist, and even members of Congress. A bill to do this already has 23 Democrat co-sponsors. Section 4 of this amendment has never been invoked and most likely will not happen now. Invoking Section 4 would require the consent of Vice President Pence and more than half of the President’s cabinet, plus the consent of the Republican-controlled Congress.

            The idea that so many people want to use Amendment 25 to remove President Trump from office is frightening. Liberals have gone crazy since Trump won the election – or Hillary Clinton lost it, whichever way you wish to think about it. His opponents cannot accept the fact that Americans chose Trump over Clinton, and they are still fighting against him.

            On the other hand, the same Americans who put Trump in office are still supporting him. He is basically the same person that Americans saw on the campaign trail and liked. Trump is not the average politician, and Americans like that he is not.

            There is a right way to remove a President from office, and there is a wrong way. The 25^th Amendment was put in place for an emergency, not for political purposes. If you do not like what the President is doing, then you should speak out against him, elect other politicians who will oppose him, and vote against him if he runs for re-election in 2020. Forcing him out of office by a coup or a civil war would make the United States no better than a Third World country.