The cease-fire announcement did not calm the storm inside Washington. Even as diplomats struggled to hold the fragile deal together, Democratic lawmakers flooded social media with calls for Trump’s impeachment, repeal of the 25th Amendment or both — arguing that a president who has threatened to wipe out an entire civilization has proven beyond doubt that he is unfit to hold office.
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Senators, House committee members, individual congressmen, a former vice president and at least one state governor all joined the chorus calling for Trump’s impeachment within hours of each other.
AOC: ‘We Are Playing With the Brink’
Few voices had more power than that of Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, who made it clear that Tuesday’s truce had not changed her position in the slightest.
“The president has threatened the Iranian people with genocide and continues to use that threat,” she wrote on X. “We can no longer risk the world or the well-being of our nation. Either by his cabinet or by Congress, the president must be removed from office. We are playing on edge.”
Schumer welcomes the truce — with a sharp kick
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer took a slightly different register, welcoming the truce while making clear his disdain for the process that led to it.
“I’m glad Trump has backed down and is desperate for any kind of escape ramp from his ridiculous outburst,” Schumer wrote on X.
Sen. Markey: ‘Removal is top priority’
Sen. Ed Markey of Massachusetts has been among the most vocal in demanding accountability. Even after the ceasefire was announced, he made it clear that the reprieve did not erase what had come before it.
“We must assert the authority of Congress and stop this illegal war on Iran. But Trump is clearly an unstable warmonger against the will of the people. Removal is the highest priority. No more war criminals in the White House,” he said.
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Markey added that he would support any available constitutional mechanism to achieve that result. “Whether it’s the 25th Amendment or impeachment, he will support any path to remove Trump from office. We cannot leave this man in charge of America’s nuclear weapons because he threatens to end civilization. And Congress must not fund this reckless administration,” he said.
He also previously said that while he was “glad that there is a reported ceasefire agreement” that Trump could not “threaten war crimes with impunity” and called on Congress to “stop this war and remove Donald Trump.”
Cascade of Congress votes
Calls for removal came from across the Democratic caucus, in language that grew increasingly harsh as the hours ticked by.
Congresswoman Shontel Brown said that “Trump has brought the world to the brink. With no clear purpose” and that he is “clearly unhinged, unfit and unfit to lead,” and called on the US to “invoke the 25th Amendment.”
Congresswoman Julie Johnson, who represents the Texas district, said Trump was exhibiting “unusual, reckless leadership” and “needs to be removed from office,” adding: “This is a serious conflict, not a reality show. We need steady, diplomatic leadership. What we’re seeing now is the insane behavior of a deranged president. It’s time to invoke the 25th Amendment.”
Congresswoman Ilhan Omar was characteristically blunt, writing: “This is wrong. Invoke the 25th Amendment. Impeach. Remove. This unhinged madman must be removed from office.”
Congresswoman Yassamin Ansari took specific aim at Vice President JD Vance, saying he should “immediately convene the Cabinet to invoke the 25th Amendment and remove Trump from office … instead of revealing to the press that he is against war.”
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Congresswoman Melanie Stansbury called on House Speaker Mike Johnson to immediately convene Congress and call on the Cabinet to act. “The Cabinet must invoke the 25th Amendment. But Congress cannot just sit back and wait for that to happen when the President TONIGHT threatens to commit war crimes,” she wrote. “This is all hands on deck – Democrats, Republicans, Independents – AMERICANS must look at using any tool to stop the President and his unauthorized war, including the 25th Amendment, impeachment, and the War Powers Resolution.”
Congressman Ro Khanna of California framed his objection in constitutional terms: “We must invoke the 25th Amendment and remove Trump. Threats of war crimes are a blatant violation of our Constitution and the Geneva Conventions.”
Congressman Mark Pocan asked the question bluntly: “That’s the kind of thing you wouldn’t see from Putin, let alone the President of the United States. Isn’t it time for the 25th Amendment?”
Congressman Jimmy Gomez said the amendment “exists for moments like this,” while Congressman Robert Garcia said Trump had “lost his mind” and that “his cabinet and those around him must be loyal to the Constitution and invoke the 25th Amendment.”
Harris speaks out: ‘This is disgusting’
Former Vice President Kamala Harris, who lost to Trump in the 2024 presidential election, did not hold back either.
“Trump’s recklessness is needlessly hurting our brave service members, destroying America’s global standing, and making life even more unaffordable for the American people. We must all stand up against this and oppose the funding of this illegal war of choice,” she wrote.
Harris added, “This is repugnant and the American people do not support it.”
Even some Republicans are concerned
The alarm isn’t entirely limited to the Democratic side of the aisle. Republican Sen. Ron Johnson said he did not support Trump’s threats and hoped the president’s most extreme language was nothing more than posturing.
“I hope and pray that it’s President Trump that it’s really a mess. I don’t want to see us start blowing up civilian infrastructure. I don’t want to see that. We’re not at war with the Iranian people. We’re trying to free them,” Johnson said on the ‘John Solomon Reports’ podcast.
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More notably, former Republican congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene, who has had a well-documented feud with Trump, posted a blunt message on social media: “25TH AMENDMENT. Not a single bomb has fallen on America. We cannot kill an entire civilization. This is evil and madness.”
Illinois Governor JB Pritzker echoed the sentiment: “This is not foreign policy, this is a crazy lunatic threatening to wipe out the entire country. It’s in the past. The 25th Amendment needs to be invoked.”
The White House fires back
White House spokesman Davis Ingle dismissed the Democratic calls as “pathetic.”
“This is pathetic. Democrats have been talking about impeaching President Trump since before he was even sworn in. Democrats in Congress are deranged, weak and ineffective, which is why their approval ratings are at an all-time low,” Ingle said in a statement.
What comes next
For now, the truce has lowered the immediate temperature. But the political battle inside Washington shows no signs of cooling. With peace talks set to begin in Islamabad on Friday and a two-week window ticking down, the question remains whether Congress will take any formal action, or whether calls for impeachment and the 25th Amendment will remain what they have historically been: expressions of outrage rather than legislative action.
Key things
- Democratic leaders are increasingly vocal about the need to remove Trump from office because of his rhetoric.
- Concerns about presidential authority and accountability resonate across party lines.
- The call for impeachment reflects broader concerns about American foreign policy and national security.
