Common Cause calls on the Cabinet and Vice President Vance to invoke the 25th Amendment immediately and begin succession planning. The evidence is clear: President Trump is unfit to serve. Should the Cabinet and Vice President refuse to fulfill their duty to our country, we call on Congress to impeach and remove President Donald J. Trump from office. We also call on our military leaders to disobey blatantly illegal orders. This is a constitutional emergency. President Trump’s behavior threatens catastrophic consequences, both domestically and abroad, that will be felt for generations. We are nearing a point of no return. 

The Cabinet and Vice President Vance Should Invoke the 25th Amendment  

The President’s fitness to serve is no longer a matter of speculation. It is a matter of public record. In recent months, the President has displayed incoherent and erratic behavior that puts our country at risk. He has issued multiple public communications containing incoherent, garbled language that cannot be explained away. He routinely misstates basic facts and shows an inability to speak coherently on a single topic for more than a few sentences. He has offered numerous and inconsistent explanations for why we began the Iran war, as well as inconsistent demands for what Iran must do to end the war. He has threatened war crimes against the civilian population, including a profanity-laced threat on Easter Sunday. The irrationality of his actions threatens U.S. security and that of our allies, including the threat to remove the U.S. from NATO because they are not doing his bidding. That is the hallmark of an unstable authoritarian. 

The White House has acknowledged brain imaging and cognitive testing, but has refused to provide transparency about the results. At the same time, public confidence has eroded sharply, with most Americans—including members of his own party—now questioning his mental fitness. The Cabinet and the Vice President can no longer cover up the severity of the President’s health. The 25th Amendment exists for precisely this situation: when a president is unable or unwilling to recognize their own incapacity, and those around them must act to protect our nation.   

If the Cabinet and Vice President Refuse to Act, Congress Should Impeach and Remove the President 

If the Cabinet and the Vice President refuse to act, then Congress, especially members of the President’s own party, must demand his immediate resignation and begin impeachment proceedings against the President. President Trump’s behavior constitutes “high crimes and misdemeanors” and demands impeachment and removal. His recent threats against the civilian population of Iran, that “a whole civilization will die tonight, never to be brought back again,” alone meet the standard. These threats constitute war crimes and violate U.S. domestic law, including the War Crimes Act, and widely recognized international law, including the Geneva Conventions.  As we have previously stated, the Iran War is illegal and was intentionally started as a war of choice, seizing power that properly belongs to Congress. This is what authoritarians do: they consolidate power, piece by piece, and dismantle accountability, undoing the rule of law, until they can threaten the annihilation of an entire civilization. 

Other actions also constitute impeachable offenses. The President has turned the machinery of justice into a political weapon while using the presidency for personal gain. He has personally directed investigations and prosecutions toward perceived political enemies rather than legitimate wrongdoing. He has blurred the line between public office and private profit by selling access, accepting financial benefits from those seeking influence, and expanding conflicts of interest beyond any modern precedent. Most alarmingly for our political system, the president has moved directly against the integrity of U.S. elections. He has openly acknowledged his motives: he fears accountability if his party loses control of Congress. He has signaled a willingness to use federal law enforcement, acting as secret police, and military force to preserve his power. Layered on top of this is a growing climate of intimidation. Civil society groups, humanitarian organizations, and election advocates have been targeted, sending a clear message: democratic participation comes with risk.   

Taken together, these actions point to a presidency no longer bound by law, but driven by power, retribution, and self-interest. Regardless of party affiliation, we call on Congress to put their love of our country above loyalty to one man. If he is allowed to continue to turn the Presidency into a dictatorship, future generations of Americans will bear unimaginable burdens.  

Conclusion: Constitutional Duty 

For members of the Cabinet and the Vice President, the path forward is clear. The Constitution provides remedies for precisely this moment. It is time to invoke the 25th Amendment. If the Cabinet and the Vice President cannot discharge these responsibilities, Congress must impeach and remove the president. Failure to act will not be remembered as a restraint. It will be remembered as complicity in the demise of our democracy and a betrayal of future generations.