Michigan Congressman Calls for Trump's Removal Under 25th Amendment, Citing Iran Threats and Economic Chaos

Michigan Democratic Rep. Shri Thanedar has sent a formal letter to Vice President JD Vance and Trump's cabinet members requesting they invoke the 25th Amendment to remove the president from office, citing a pattern of "nonsensical, irrational, and senseless actions" that pose a threat to national security and the American people.

The letter, dated Tuesday, comes on the heels of Trump's alarming social media posts threatening Iran with statements like "a whole civilization will die tonight" as an 8 p.m. Eastern deadline he imposed approached. Just before that deadline, Trump reversed course and announced a two-week ceasefire -- provided Iran reopens merchant traffic on the Strait of Hormuz.

"President Trump is a threat to our country and to the world; he must be removed from office immediately," Thanedar wrote in the letter obtained by CBS News.

A Pattern of Chaos

Thanedar's request specifically cites Trump's economically devastating tariffs that have driven up costs for American consumers, aggressive immigration enforcement campaigns targeting cities across the country, and a February military strike against Iran. The congressman argues these actions demonstrate a lack of rational decision-making that makes Trump unfit for the presidency.

"These are just some examples of the many nonsensical, irrational, and senseless actions President Trump has taken," Thanedar said. "There is no rhyme or reason to these actions, which can lead one to only one natural conclusion: these are not the actions of a sane person, nor one who is fit to serve as president of the most powerful nation in the world."

The Michigan representative represents District 13 and joins dozens of lawmakers from Michigan, Illinois, Massachusetts, and other states who issued public statements Tuesday condemning Trump's reckless Iran threats.

The 25th Amendment Path

The 25th Amendment, ratified in 1967, establishes procedures for removing a president from office and outlines the chain of succession should a vacancy occur. For the Cabinet to remove a sitting president, the vice president and a majority of cabinet members would need to declare in writing that the president is "unable to discharge the powers and duties of his office."

Thanedar insisted in his letter that Trump "has no intention of changing his behavior or conforming to the laws of our country" -- a conclusion drawn from observing the president's conduct throughout his current term.

This is not Thanedar's first attempt to hold Trump accountable through constitutional mechanisms. In April 2025, he filed articles of impeachment against the president on charges including obstruction of justice and abuse of power. That effort was dropped in May 2025 due to lack of political support in a Republican-controlled House.

A History of Failed Accountability

Trump faced impeachment trials twice during his first term in office -- once for pressuring Ukraine to investigate political rival Joe Biden, and again for inciting the January 6, 2021 insurrection at the U.S. Capitol. Neither attempt resulted in his removal, as Senate Republicans refused to convict despite substantial evidence.

The question now is whether Trump's own vice president and hand-picked cabinet members will take the extraordinary step of declaring him unfit for office. Given the political loyalty Trump demands from his appointees, and the Republican Party's track record of enabling his most dangerous impulses, the likelihood of cabinet action remains slim.

But Thanedar's letter puts on the record what many national security experts, economists, and constitutional scholars have been saying privately: Trump's erratic decision-making, from brinkmanship with nuclear-armed adversaries to economically ruinous trade wars, represents a clear and present danger.

As Trump's tariffs continue to hammer American families with higher prices, his immigration raids terrorize communities, and his foreign policy lurches from crisis to crisis, the case for removal grows stronger by the day. Whether anyone in power has the courage to act on it is another question entirely.