Understanding the 25th Amendment

The Constitution was designed to address a variety of different issues that could arise in the government. But it didn’t originally explain how to deal with a president who became disabled to the point that they are not able to perform their duties. This is where the 25^th Amendment comes in.

Removing the President

The 25^th Amendment states that in “case of the removal of the president from office, or of his death, resignation, or inability to discharge the powers and duties of the said office, the same shall devolve on the Vice President.”

The line of succession from the president to vice president is clearly outlined in the document when the person occupying the higher office passes away or resigns. However, the part that people typically argue about is what it says regarding a president who is alive, but can’t do the job for some reason. While it states that the vice president would step in if this happens, it does not define the phrase “inability to discharge his duties.”

This has caused a problem because different people might have a different view on what the phrase means. Does it apply if a president gets the flu and can’t get out of bed? Is it only applicable if a president has a mental breakdown? Moreover, the document does not indicate whether a vice president would only take the place of the chief executive until they recover or if they are supposed to serve out the rest of the president’s four-year term.

The part of the 25^th Amendment that is being debated now is Section 4, the passage that indicates how the government would handle a president who is no longer able to fulfill his role but refuses to step down. If this happens, members of the president’s cabinet and the vice president would have to declare that he is “unable to discharge the powers and duties of his office.” At this point, the vice president becomes the Acting President. If the president later indicates that he can do his job once again, and the group agrees, he can resume his role as commander in chief. If the group disagrees, then Congress votes to make the decision.

Has This Happened?

No president has ever been removed from office using the 25^th Amendment. But some have suggested using it to remove President Trump because they do not believe that he is performing his duties correctly.

The purpose of this amendment was always to give the government a way of functioning even if the president couldn’t do his job. Many who want to see it used against Trump argue that the president is insane and that, because of this, he isn’t capable of doing his job.