'Unstable and a clear danger': Rep. Ed Markey calls for the removal of Trump from office

A group of Democrats has called for the removal of President Donald Trump from office over his expletive-laden threats against Iran. As Trump issued a Tuesday 8 p.m. EDT deadline for Tehran to cut a deal and reopen the Strait of Hormuz or have their "civilization wiped out," Democrats warned he was moving to commit serious war crimes and urged his cabinet to consider the 25th Amendment to remove him from office. Sen. Ed Markey released a statement calling Trump an "unstable" and a "clear and present danger" to the American people and the world, as he called for his immediate removal from office. 

Doubling down on his threats of bombing civilian infrastructure in Iran on Tuesday, the President warned that "a whole civilization will die tonight, never to be brought back again" if Iran does not meet the deadline to reopen the critical oil shipping lane, the Strait of Hormuz. Following the series of threat-laden messages of possible war crimes, over 50 Democratic lawmakers publicly called for Trump's removal under the constitutional provision, which allows a president to be sidelined if deemed unable to carry out the duties of the office. "With each passing day, it becomes increasingly apparent that Donald Trump is unstable and a clear and present danger, not just to the American people but to the world. He must be removed from office before he causes incalculable and unfathomable harm," Markey wrote in his statement.

He urged the House and Senate to return to session immediately and pass articles of impeachment and then vote to convict Trump and remove him from office. He extended another option, urging Vice President J.D. Vance and the Trump Cabinet to invoke the 25th Amendment with Congressional concurrence to remove Trump. Markey further added that a war powers resolution will not be enough and removal should be the top priority, in a social media post. 

Several other leaders echoed similar sentiments. U.S. Rep. Robert Garcia claimed the President had lost it. "He's out of control, and his cabinet and those around him must be loyal to the constitution and invoke the 25th amendment. He must be removed," Garcia wrote on X. Rep. Diana DeGette raised similar concerns and asked the House to begin the impeachment process if the cabinet acts too cowardly. 

Meanwhile, the White House called the remarks "pathetic" and a desperate attempt to improve ratings. "Democrats have been talking about removing President Trump since before he was even sworn into office. The Democrats in Congress are deranged, weak, and ineffective, which is why their approval ratings are at historic lows," White House spokesperson Davis Ingle said, according to The Hill.  However, the removal of Trump from office seems highly unlikely, as the President announced a two-week ceasefire agreement on Tuesday with Iran. Both countries agreed to halt the strikes, with Iran allowing shipping traffic to flow through the Strait of Hormuz with some technical conditions. Even with the negotiations dragging on, it would be unlikely for Democrats to convince Vice President Vance and the Cabinet to be supportive of their demand.