Monday, May 01, 2017

The big problem with the 25th Amendment idea to get rid of Trump

Every article I read about the possibility of removing the President based on Section 4 of the Twenty-Fifth Amendment ignores what I think is the biggest problem with the scenario: To remove the president under that Amendment requires a majority of either the members of the cabinet or "such other body as Congress may by law provide." Congress hasn't passed any law designating an alternative to the cabinet, so a majority of the cabinet would be required. The entire cabinet, every single one, was appointed by Trump and several (if not an outright majority) were appointed primarily because of their loyalty to Trump, not because they had any particular expertise in the Department they now run.

Until you can imagine the likes of Betsy DeVos, Jeff Sessions, and Ben Carson turning against Trump, he is not going to be removed under the 25th Amendment. Period. Impeachment may be really hard, but it is a lot less of a long shot than the 25th Amendment process is, simply because the decision-makers in the impeachment process (members of Congress) are not appointed by or answerable to the President.