The co-founder of a prominent conservative magazine wants Vice President JD Vance to invoke a never-before-used part of the Constitution to remove President Donald Trump from office, amid growing criticism of the war with Iran.
“My advice to Vance: Announce your support of 25th amendment transition,” Scott McConnell, co-founder of The American Conservative, wrote on X on Sunday. “Say Chris Murphy or similar will be veep. Announce you will NOT be a candidate in 2028. Use your position, access to the media to explain why this is necessary. Don't resign.”
McConnell added that he recommended appointing Murphy, a Democrat, because he is an antiwar figure who is “smart and not super woke.”
While the post did not specifically mention Trump's war in Iran, McConnell has made a string of comments against the military action in the Middle East. He added in a follow-up post that fellow Trump cabinet member Secretary of State Marco Rubio could join Vance's effort and "keep his job, negotiate a ceasefire and be the GOP frontrunner."
The Independent has contacted the White House for comment.
Section 4 of the 25th Amendment allows the vice president and a majority of cabinet secretaries to remove the president if they declare them unfit to serve.
Other parts of the amendment have been used to temporarily transfer power, such as when presidents are undergoing health procedures, but the removal clause has never been invoked.
Critics of President Trump have frequently called for the cabinet to use the 25th Amendment.
In January, Democrats, including Massachusetts Sen. Ed Markey, Arizona Rep. Yassamin Ansari, and California Reps. Eric Swalwell and Sydney Kamlager-Dove, said the amendment should be used after President Trump sent a threatening message to Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre as part of the White House campaign to take over Greenland.
During the first Trump administration, the president faced similar calls following high-profile incidents, including after Trump supporters stormed the U.S. Capitol in early 2021 and after Democrats retook the House of Representatives in 2018.
Vance, who has criticized past overseas U.S. wars, reportedly told the president he had doubts about a conflict with Iran.
The war, which has entered its fourth week without a clear end in sight, will likely define part of the Trump administration’s legacy, and it could factor into the 2028 presidential race, where Vance is considered a top prospect.
Trump has claimed the U.S. and Tehran are having “productive conversations” about ending the war, though the Iranian leadership says this claim is “fake news.”
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