Cabinet members are reportedly discussing invoking the 25th Amendment to remove Trump


Some Cabinet secretaries are reportedly discussing whether to move forward with formal proceedings to invoke the 25th Amendment to remove President Trump following the events that unfolded at the U.S. Capitol on Wednesday, CBS News' Margaret Brennan reports. Brennan clarified that this is "not about to happen" and nothing has been presented to Vice President Mike Pence, who would succeed Trump for the final days of his term under those circumstances. But, she said, "the very fact that the highest levels of the U.S. government and Cabinet members are discussing this is quite newsworthy, quite notable."
Perhaps less surprisingly, every Democrat on the House Judiciary Committee signed a letter sent to Pence, asking him to invoke the 25th, raising the possibility the Democrats in the lower chamber may prefer this route rather than drafting articles of impeachment, which some members have advocated.
Under Section 4 of the 25th Amendment, the vice president and Cabinet secretaries can together determine the president is unable or unwilling to perform the duties of the office. It's the only section that's never been invoked, and it's unclear whether the White House will do so, especially since several members of the Trump administration are considering resignation. Either way, it appears loyalty to Trump is diminishing. Tim O'Donnell
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Tim is a staff writer at The Week and has contributed to Bedford and Bowery and The New York Transatlantic. He is a graduate of Occidental College and NYU's journalism school. Tim enjoys writing about baseball, Europe, and extinct megafauna. He lives in New York City.
-
'Wonder drug': the potential health benefits of creatine
The Explainer Popular fitness supplement shows promise in easing symptoms of everything from depression to menopause and could even help prevent Alzheimer's
-
What's next for Elon Musk?
Today's Big Question The world's richest man has become 'disillusioned' with politics – but returning to his tech empire presents its own challenges
-
Quiz of The Week: 24 – 30 May
Have you been paying attention to The Week's news?
-
Starving Gazans overrun US-backed food aid hub
speed read Israeli troops fired warning shots at the Palestinians
-
Israel's Western allies pull back amid Gaza escalation
speed read Britain and the EU are reconsidering allegiance with Israel as the Gaza siege continues
-
Trump drops ceasefire demand after Putin call
speed read Following a phone call with Russia's president, Trump backed off an earlier demand that Putin agree to an immediate ceasefire with Ukraine
-
Pro-EU centrist beats Trump acolyte in Romania vote
speed read The mayor of Bucharest, Nicusor Dan, defeated hard-right nationalist George Simion in the race for Romania's presidency
-
Israel-US 'rift': is Trump losing patience with Netanyahu?
Today's Big Question US president called for an end to Gaza war and negotiated directly with Hamas to return American hostage, amid rumours of strained relations
-
Kurdish PKK militia to disband for Turkey talks
speed read The Kurdistan Workers' Party will disarm after four decades of armed conflict with Turkey, putting an end to 'one of the longest insurgencies in the Middle East'
-
US, China agree to lower tariffs for 90 days
speed read US tariffs will fall to 30% from 145%, while China will cut its tax on US imports to 10% from 125%
-
India strikes Pakistan as tensions mount in Kashmir
speed read Pakistan's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif called it an 'act of war'