Co-founder of American Conservative group demands Vance use 25th Amendment to remove Trump

[BumRushDaShow]

Source: The Independent

Monday 23 March 2026 16:55 EDT


The co-founder of a prominent conservative magazine wants Vice President JD Vance to invoke a never-before-used part of the Constitution to remove President Donald Trump from office, amid growing criticism of the war with Iran.

“My advice to Vance: Announce your support of 25th amendment transition,” Scott McConnell, co-founder of The American Conservative, wrote on X on Sunday. “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 added that he recommended appointing Murphy, a Democrat, because he is an antiwar figure who is “smart and not super woke.”

While the post did not specifically mention Trump's war in Iran, McConnell has made a string of comments against the military action in the Middle East. He added in a follow-up post that fellow Trump cabinet member Secretary of State Marco Rubio could join Vance's effort and "keep his job, negotiate a ceasefire and be the GOP frontrunner.". The Independent has contacted the White House for comment.

Section 4 of the 25th Amendment allows the vice president and a majority of cabinet secretaries to remove the president if they declare them unfit to serve. Other parts of the amendment have been used to temporarily transfer power, such as when presidents are undergoing health procedures, but the removal clause has never been invoked.

Read more: https://www.the-independent.com/news/world/americas/us-politics/vance-trump-25th-amendment-iran-b2944107.html

[LuvLoogie]

1. Call for trump's impeachment.

Impeach or you'll pull the donors nation wide, all races.

Never happen.

May their portfolios atrophy and their heirs complain.

[Javaman]

2. uh oh, the natives are getting restless.

fuck'em.

they made this monster.

[GiqueCee]

3. "... not super woke..."

... is a 500-decibel alarm warning. But, even though I concur that it's been 25th time for quite a while, McConnell is still a Republican, and these days it's hard to believe that he still doesn't know the definition of "WOKE", so his back-handed condemnation of the concept still disgusts me.
As I've been saying for many years, when they finally update the DSM 5, conservatism should take its rightful place on the Dark End of the sociopathy spectrum. It offers no discernible value to the betterment of society.

[obamanut2012]

5. Funny thing is, Murphy is pretty :"woke"

[GiqueCee]

6. Good...

... it's the only way to be.

[bucolic_frolic]

4. His idea to bypass Vance and install Murphy

says to me he is VERY VERY worried about woke candidates winning in 2026 and 2028. VERY WORRIED. And he's not even trying to salvage Vance. He's trying to end his political career by asking him to agree not to run. Reset of political table in other words.

[thesquanderer]

7. Why would JD pick a Dem as VP at all? Why would he say he wouldn't run in 2028?

I"m not seeing the point of those suggestions. Or at least I don't see how that makes it easier for him to get the cabinet to take this action.

[dutch777]

8. Never happen with that Cabinet & JD doesn't have the spine either. I would bet Trump resigns after midterms more likely

When no one will play ball with him anymore, he'll take all his grifted cash and leave in a huff.

[C_U_L8R]

9. Nothing motivates republicans more

…than losing money. Maybe if they’d used their brains, they wouldn’t be in deep shit with the rest of the country.

[onenote]

10. No matter how many times and how many folks suggest the 25th be invoked, I can't see it happening.

It would be easier to impeach.

The steps for invoking the 25th: The VP and a majority of the "principal officers of the executive departments," 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.
At that point, the VP temporarily assumes the office of president.
Trump then can, at any point in time thereafter, transmit to the President pro tempore of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives his written declaration that no inability exists, at which point 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.

If it reaches that stage, it falls upon Congress shall decide the issue, being required 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.

The most obvious problem is getting a majority of Trump's cabinet to turn on him. Without doubt, if such an effort was undertaken, there would be members of the cabinet who would not support it and word of the effort would get back to Trump, who could then fire any cabinet member he thinks was ready to move against him, ensuring that only loyalists remained.

And even if he fails to stop a majority from moving against him, Trump would push back with his own declaration, and it would take a 2/3 majority of both the House and Senate to keep him from returning to power. And the idea that there would be enough Repub. members of Congress prepared to go up against him -- and face the wrath of his supporters -- seems highly unlikely at least at this point.