Before even taking office, Donald Trump essentially fortified his administration against potential dissent through strategic personnel choices. As I elaborated in a recent video and article, Trump’s cabinet selections prioritized unwavering loyalty over expertise.
This strategy served a dual purpose: not only did it sideline voices of dissent within his administration, but it also ensured that there would be no significant support for invoking the 25th Amendment—a provision designed to remove a president deemed unfit for office.
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In the aftermath of the January 6th insurrection, John Hudak penned a thought-provoking piece for Brookings:
America possesses mechanisms to safeguard itself from Donald Trump. The vice president, along with a majority of the Cabinet, can invoke Section IV of the 25th Amendment to declare the president unfit for duty. And he is unfit. This action wouldn’t nullify the 2016 election results but would reaffirm that the electorate chose someone who has breached their oath. The vice president, who was elected to step in when necessary, must now assume the role of acting president.
The protocol is complex, yet it presents an opportunity for a Republican who prioritizes national interest over personal loyalty to finish out the remaining days of this administration. If the vice president and a majority of the Cabinet deem the president incapacitated and communicate this to Congress, the presidency’s powers would shift to Mike Pence. Should the president assert he is no longer incapacitated, the vice president and Cabinet can once again notify Congress of his continued incapacity. Ultimately, Congress would deliberate on this matter, and if two-thirds of both chambers concur on the president’s incapacitation, the vice president retains presidential powers.
In a striking move, Trump replaced Mike Pence with the ambitious sycophant JD Vance. It’s noteworthy that his inaugural Speaker of the House, Mike Johnson, is not a figure like John Boehner or Paul Ryan, while John Thune—rather than Trump critic Mitch McConnell—now leads the Senate Republicans.
Trump’s strategy effectively purged critics, substituting them with staunch loyalists. Consequently, removing him from power may require a significant grassroots movement, initiated by a letter he recently dispatched to European leaders.
European leaders have vowed to respond decisively to Trump’s “economic blackmail.”
For more insights, read below.
