Breaking now, Sen. Ed Markey of Massachusetts is urging the use of the 25th Amendment to remove President Trump from office. He points to renewed questions about presidential judgment after the idea of buying Greenland. His message is clear. He wants the government to test the safeguards the Constitution provides when a president may be unable to serve.
What Markey said and why it matters
From the Capitol, Markey called for action under Section 4 of the 25th Amendment. He framed it as a duty to protect the country. He argued that the presidency demands sound judgment, steady leadership, and respect for law. He said the Greenland episode sharpened concerns about fitness for office. He added that the Constitution gives a plan for this exact problem.
Markey’s move is explosive in Washington. It is also a legal story first. The Constitution sets a narrow road for removing a president who is unable to discharge the powers of the office. That road is Section 4. It has never been used.
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Section 4 has never been invoked. Section 3 has, for short medical transfers of power.
How Section 4 actually works
Section 4 allows the vice president and a majority of the Cabinet to declare the president unable to serve. That declaration shifts power to the vice president as acting president. The president can dispute it. Congress then decides.
Here is the sequence that would apply if the process starts:
- The vice president and a majority of principal Cabinet officers sign a written declaration that the president is unable to serve. They deliver it to the Speaker of the House and the president pro tempore of the Senate.
- The vice president becomes acting president at once. Executive power transfers immediately.
- The president can send a written statement that he is able to serve. Power returns to him unless the vice president and Cabinet repeat their declaration within four days.
- If they repeat it, Congress must meet within 48 hours if not in session. Congress has up to 21 days to decide. The president remains without power during that time.
- A two thirds vote in both the House and the Senate is required to keep the vice president as acting president. Without that vote, the president resumes power.
Congress can also create another body to act with the vice president instead of the Cabinet. It has never done so. No such body exists today.
Why it is so hard to invoke
This process places huge power in the vice president’s hands. It also asks a majority of the president’s own Cabinet to move against him. That is a high bar in any administration. Loyalty, political cost, and legal risk all press against it. Even if they begin, the two thirds vote in both chambers is higher than the impeachment threshold in the Senate. It is built to prevent rash action.
The standard is not defined in precise medical or legal terms. The amendment says unable, and leaves the judgment to officials and Congress. That vagueness is by design. But it makes the step even more fraught. It also raises ethical questions about medical privacy, national security, and public trust.
A rushed or partisan invocation could trigger a constitutional crisis, weaken markets, and invite foreign testing of U.S. resolve.
Policy stakes and citizen rights
This is not only a power struggle. It affects government policy and the rights of citizens. If Section 4 is invoked, executive orders, defense posture, and diplomacy would shift at once to the acting president. Agencies would need clear direction. Courts could face urgent disputes over deadlines and authority.
Citizens have a stake in how this happens. The process must be transparent enough to maintain confidence. It must also protect due process and continuity of government. The president has the right to respond in writing. Congress must act on a clear timetable. Those are safeguards for the office, and for the people it serves.
- Expect formal letters, time stamped and delivered to congressional leaders.
- Expect rapid legal review inside the White House and the departments.
- Expect congressional oversight on capacity, procedure, and the public record.
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The bottom line and what to watch
Markey’s call is a political thunderclap, but the mechanics are unforgiving. Without the vice president and a majority of the Cabinet, the call is symbolic. It puts pressure on the question of presidential fitness. It also refocuses Congress on emergency succession law, and whether to create the other body the amendment allows.
Watch for three signs. First, any public movement by the vice president or Cabinet. Second, letters to Congress that suggest preparation for a formal step. Third, committee plans to examine the 25th Amendment framework, including medical evaluation protocols and notification rules. If none appear, this fight stays in the realm of rhetoric, not law.
The Constitution provides a careful remedy for an unable president. It is meant to be hard, rare, and clear. Markey has thrown the switch on a serious debate. The next move belongs to the vice president, the Cabinet, and, if it comes to it, both chambers of Congress. ⚖️
