Could the 25th Amendment Be Used to Oust Trump?

How could a sitting US president be legally removed from office? Most people have heard of impeachment, a power granted to (and rarely used by) the US Congress. But there’s also the 25th Amendment to the US Constitution, which provides an avenue for a president to be removed under extraordinary circumstances by his or her own leadership team. Talk of deploying the amendment erupted in response to President Donald Trump’s handling of the war with Iran. A number of prominent political figures called for invoking the amendment to oust Trump after he threatened to destroy the “whole civilization” in Iran if the country didn’t agree to a ceasefire deal.

Earlier in 2026, a handful of Democratic lawmakers advocated the amendment’s use to unseat Trump over what they considered his erratic behavior regarding Greenland. Using the amendment against Trump also came up during his first term.