The fastest way to remove Trump from the Presidency.

[friend of m and j]

Trump could resign. None of us think that is going to happen. But I will set out a plan below on how to pressure him to resign. But even that plan would have a only slim chance of working but that would be the fastest if it did work.

He could lose the 2020 election but the country may not survive another 15 months of his Presidency.

He could be impeached but we all know the current Senate would not vote to convict him even if McConnell allowed a vote. But the impeachment process is slow. We can't wait for the 2020 election of even for the "impeachment inquiry. Every day day he does or says something new that hurts our country.

The 25th Amendment gives us one more and the newest tool to remove a President. It provides that if a President is incapacitated or unfit for office the Cabinet (or another group of executives designated by Congress) votes by a majority vote that the President is incapable of carrying out the duties of his office and the VP agrees with that conclusion That declaration is presented to the Congress and the VP automatically becomes "Acting President".

But what would motivate the Cabinet and Pense to do that? My plan explains what might motivate it.

If the current living ex-Presidents Jointly wrote a letter to Trump and read it at joint session of Congress (Just to House if McConnell wouldn't allow a joint session). In the letter they would ask the President to resign because of his conduct in Office is a security threat to our democracy. Jimmy Carter has called Trump a "illegitimate President". You know that the Clintons' and Bush hate Trump and do not believe he should not be President.
Obama, without mentioning Trump by name has finally come out against our leaders spewing hate and lies that incite violence. So I think he would sign such a joint letter.

Because Obama is probably the most popular political figure in the US he should read the letter requesting Trumps resignation. And the letter should hit hard, listing some of Trump's most egregious examples questioning his mental capacity and complete lack of knowledge of the Constitution and governing.

Part 2 of the letter should say that if Trump doesn't resign, all of the former Presidents will take an active role in talking to the Cabinet and VP Pense in explaining why they should invoke the 25th Amendment for the good of the Country.

I don't think Trump would be able to divert attention to a different 24 hour news cycle as he usually tries to do with news he doesn't like. Tweets would work this time.

Who knows? It might work.

[Eliot Rosewater]

1. Putin wouldn't allow it.

[MousePlayingDaffodil]

2. I believe that your post would have somewhat more credibility . . .

. . . if you knew that it was "Pence" and not "Pense."

And then there's this:

"Whenever the Vice President and a majority of either the principal officers of the executive departments or of such other body as Congress may by law provide, transmit to the President pro tempore of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives their written declaration that the President is unable to discharge the powers and duties of his office, the Vice President shall immediately assume the powers and duties of the office as Acting President.

"Thereafter, when the President transmits to the President pro tempore of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives his written declaration that no inability exists, he shall resume the powers and duties of his office unless the Vice President and a majority of either the principal officers of the executive department or of such other body as Congress may by law provide, transmit within four days to the President pro tempore of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives their written declaration that the President is unable to discharge the powers and duties of his office. Thereupon Congress shall decide the issue, assembling within forty-eight hours for that purpose if not in session. If the Congress, within twenty-one days after receipt of the latter written declaration, or, if Congress is not in session, within twenty-one days after Congress is required to assemble, determines by two-thirds vote of both Houses that the President is unable to discharge the powers and duties of his office, the Vice President shall continue to discharge the same as Acting President; otherwise, the President shall resume the powers and duties of his office."

In other words, when all is said and done, you'd still need two-thirds of the Senate.

Nice try, but no.

[friend of m and j]

24. I think most well informed readers knew who I was talking about when I typed "Pense

instead of "Pense". I apologize for misspelling his name but I seldom write anything with his name in it.

I have read the 25th Amendment and in its entirety it is rather complicated. Other than when Presidents were incapacitated due to surgeries or other hospital procedures The Amendment has never been used in the past.

But the purpose and thrust of the Amendment is clear in this sentence " "Whenever the Vice President and a majority of either the principal officers of the executive departments transmit to the President pro tempore of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives their written declaration that the President is unable to discharge the powers and duties of his office, the Vice President shall immediately assume the powers and duties of the office as Acting President.

As to getting 2/3 vote of Senate TO KEEP HIM OUT OF OFFICE due to mental incapacity among other things I think the Senate would have a very different view than voting on impeachment.

[smirkymonkey]

3. Here is my fantasy.

He's playing golf and there is a thunderstorm off in the distance. He ignores it because he is a macho man and won't let a little storm get in the way of his game. Suddenly, as he is raising his club to make a shot, a bolt of random lightening strikes his club and electrocutes him.

That's it. He's gone. Even the true believers can't blame the Democrats and have to admit that it was an act of god.

The republican party splinters and and our country goes on to elect Democrats into majority positions all across the nation and in the three branches of federal government. The end.

[LastDemocratInSC]

6. The Talibaptists would just say that The Lord had summoned His Ambassador home for consultations

And would begin the eager wait for his certain return.

[Poiuyt]

10. Rat farts!!

[smirkymonkey]

13. Yes, something a little like that!

[Skraxx]

11. The Caddy Shack Solution

I wholly endorse this method. Carry on.

[smirkymonkey]

15. Wouldn't it be beautiful?

[Skraxx]

17. It Would Certainly be a Fitting End to this Episode

Of reality. And frankly, at this point, we all have to admit we must be living in a simulation anyway, so why not?

[PandoraAwakened]

12. Caddy Shack Solution!

Love it...late October, 2020...October Surprise...too late for Rethugs to gather their twits.

That is, if we can hold out that long.

[smirkymonkey]

16. Couldn't happen soon enough!

As long as it happens. Ideally, I think late summer 2020 would work best.

[Sogo]

23. Love it!

[Mme. Defarge]

4. Probably a more effective approach than

my idea of having a court declare him incompetent and appointing a legal guardian for him, which could happen to any adult U.S. citizen who has said and done even a fraction of the insane and dangerous things our current president has.

[Karadeniz]

5. I doubt that previous presidents would agree to the idea, but it would be great if Bush would.

[friend of m and j]

22. MAYBE THEY WOULDN'T Agree

but I think all 4 of them love their country, including Bush. I think if Some leading highly respected other leaders such as Pelos, some leading Dem. Senators approached those former Presidents and told them they needed their help. That they fear Trump will destroy our democracy before 2020. Those Ex Pres might surprise us and say they were also concerned about that but had held back because they didn't want to intervene in Congress's business without an invitation.

[Girard442]

7. My hope (which has turned into a fantasy) was that Trump would resign in exchange for...

...no prosecutions of his businesses, his family and his post-presidential self.

Didn't happen. Won't happen.

[uponit7771]

8. Trump already said he's going to cheat to win,

[Grasswire2]

9. ACTING cabinet members can't participate in 25th amendment action. nt

[friend of m and j]

25. The 25th Amendment has never undergone a judicial review

that might have the questions raised by the language of the Amendment. The Amendment doesn't mention "the Cabinet" (I don't think it is mentioned in the entire constitution). Some pundits have said that "Acting Cabinet members cannot participate....". The Amendment doesn't say that. It says z "the Vice President and a majority vote of the principal officers of the executive departments". .....It goes on to say that when their written declaration that the President is unable to discharge the powers and duties of his office,are delivered to the Speaker of the House and the President pro temporer of the Senate the Vice President shall immediately assume the powers and duties of the office as Acting President.

If I were sitting in a judicial capacity trying to interpret what is meant by "principal officers of the executive departments" and whether they had the authority to vote in a Amendment 25 proceeding I would be guided by the language giving the VP as Acting President THE POWERS AND DUTIES OF THE OFFICE (Presidential)

Not mentioned by the pundits that I have read there is a Fed. law that says allows the President to appoint a temporary (Acting) replacement to fill a vacancy without Senate confirmation. And that temporary replacement shall have the powers and duties during his temporary tenure as the executive he replaced.

[brooklynite]

14. ...and then you'd have President Pence.

The way to end this is to vote them out of office.

[Tennessee Hillbilly]

18. Another fantasy

Imagine this:
Trump is on an outdoor stage giving a whiny speech to a crowd of his lame-brained supporters. Mike Pence and some other Repug officials are sitting behind Trump.

Suddenly a giant red-hot meteorite plunges downward at 60,000 mph and crashes onto the stage, smashing everything into a smoldering pancake lining the pit of an instantly-formed crater.

[SharonAnn]

20. And that would knock out a bunch of his believers too, wouldn't it?

[Maru Kitteh]

19. I was thinking KFC/McDonalds drive-through window in his bedroom. 24/7.

All day and all night baby

[jmowreader]

21. There's an even easier way

We simply cut off his fuel allocations for leisure and campaign-related air or surface travel. If the bastard can't golf or hold his neo-Nazi rallies, he'll resign within the week.

[rampartc]

26. there does need to be a limit on his travel and liesure expenses

particularly those paid to himself.

[jmowreader]

28. This idiot will never sign the bill I am about to propose...

Once we take back the presidency and Congress, which may very well happen in the upcoming election, a law needs to be passed to require presidents who vacation at their own properties and establish offices in them - Trump has done both - to provide lodging, office space, golf carts and so on at no cost to the government. The president can be reimbursed for the cost of meals consumed in restaurants he owns, but only at a rate that covers food and energy costs involved in preparing the meals. As to the workers, they get paid but directly by the government.

Trump likes to brag about the $400,000/year he's turning back to the USG, but hasn't said word one about the $3 million/year he makes renting golf carts and hotel rooms to the Secret Service.

[rampartc]

29. limit his per diem for travel expenses to those prescribed for gs employees.

his salary is taxable so he claims to donate it to charity (good thing the trump foundation has been shut down ( are we sure he doesn't have hundreds of 501 c organizations?)

his expenses are not taxable.

[Thekaspervote]

27. Now I think that sounds doable

[Vinca]

30. I don't want him to resign. If he that happens, Pence will pardon him.

I want him to lose by a landslide and be perp walked off the stage right after the 46th POTUS is sworn in.

[Buckeyeblue]

31. I want him to get beat as well.

Having Pence has president doesn't help us one bit.

[friend of m and j]

32. I want to see him lose also

but I fear what he may do in the next year before the elections. Especially if he thinks he is going to lose. That is why I think we have to get him out of office as fast as possible. He may cause a major recession equal to the Great Depression or he may start a nuclear war. There is no telling what he could do in the next year. Don't forget Steve Bannon who I think might be the only advisor with any intelligence that Trump secretly listens to. Maybe everyday during his "executive time". Bannon said in an interview several years ago when he was asked if he wanted to restructure the government he answered; "No. I don't want to restructure the government. I want to take it down."

And as for worrying about Pence as "Acting President" for a few months before the election, I don't think he has enough common sense or power to do any damage before 2020 and certainly better than the Donald.