Conservative Commentator Urges JD Vance to Invoke 25th Amendment Against Trump Amid Iran Backlash
A prominent conservative voice has called on Vice President JD Vance to pursue an extraordinary constitutional step to remove President Donald Trump from office, as criticism intensifies over the escalating U.S. military involvement with Iran.
Trump, who served as the 45th president and won re-election in 2024, is now in his second term as the 47th president. His return to the White House has been marked by ongoing controversy, including his historic impeachment in 2019. The latest flashpoint involves U.S.-coordinated airstrikes with Israel targeting Iranian sites, which have fueled sharp domestic debate.
Scott McConnell, co-founder and founding editor of The American Conservative, took to X (formerly Twitter) to advise Vance on invoking the 25th Amendment. This provision allows the vice president and a majority of the Cabinet to declare the president unable to discharge his duties, enabling a transfer of power.
“My advice to Vance: Announce your support of 25th amendment transition,” McConnell wrote. He outlined a detailed plan: Vance should name an anti-war figure such as Democratic Sen. Chris Murphy—or someone similar—as his new vice president. McConnell urged Vance to publicly commit not to run for president in 2028, leverage his platform and media access to explain the necessity of the move, and explicitly not resign.
McConnell described Murphy as “smart and not super woke,” positioning him as a suitable partner for a stabilizing transition. He has long opposed deeper U.S. military entanglements in the Middle East.
In follow-up posts, McConnell suggested that Sen. Marco Rubio could support the effort while retaining his position, potentially negotiating a ceasefire and emerging as a leading Republican contender for future elections. He also sharply criticized the intelligence guiding Trump’s decisions, writing: “So Netanyahu fed Trump BS intelligence. Trump, ignoring his own intelligence agencies, lapped it up. Now because things didn’t work out like the BS intelligence claimed, wants to commit genocide in our name. OK.”
The airstrikes and ensuing conflict have resulted in significant casualties. Reports indicate thousands of deaths overall, including over 1,000 civilians, though exact figures vary amid the fog of war. Trump has claimed “strong” ceasefire negotiations with Iran are underway, but Iranian officials have dismissed those assertions.
McConnell’s unusual proposal highlights growing fractures even within conservative circles over the administration’s foreign policy. While the 25th Amendment has never been used in this manner to remove a sitting president, the call reflects deepening unease about the direction of U.S. actions in the region.
