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
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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.
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