I don’t want to be a Conspiracy Theorist, but…*
The Right (the ones who have any power) don’t like Trump. It’s obvious to everyone except Trump voters that Trump is mentally impaired. What if Conservatives declare Trump is unfit to be President (25th Amendment) and replace him with Vance? Vance is just as evil, but not as narcissistic or stupid. What would happen?
Apologies if this has been asked elsewhere.
*‘Any declarative statement before “but” is bullshit.’
The problem is that “Conservatives” don’t have that power. The 25th Amendment states that it falls to:
Which basically means, as I understand it, “the Vice President and the Cabinet.” And I think that it’s likely that Trump will appoint Cabinet members whom he believes will be personally loyal to him, and thus, unlikely to agree to any attempt to use the 25th Amendment to unseat him.
The Cabinet members would probably be able to see which way the wind is blowing and fall in line. Or Senators could let Democrats impeach him (again) and this time vote to convict.
Not going to happen. They are (or will be soon) in power. They don’t need anything else and don’t want to upset the cult. If Vance goes after their leader he’s not ever going to be president himself. Most likely he doesn’t last 4 years anyway.
The Republicans wouldnt win an election for a decade if they did that. Turning on your own almost never happens in american politics, especially not with a demagogue who consistently does better than the rest of your party in elections.
This would be key. If he gets to a stage where he is no longer seen in public, refuses all interviews, and will no longer meet with foreign dignitaries, that’s a sign that things are getting bad. Vance isn’t going to sit around and wait to see what happens if Trump becomes unable to function as president. I think we’re currently a long way from that, but he could have a stroke and at his age become incapacitated. That’s when this shit gets real.
My fear is that Trump may not live four more years. He’s 78 and will be the oldest person inaugurated as President, he has multiple health risk factors including being over weight and out of shape, and he seems to be a high blood pressure type.
So, at some point, JD Vance could become President. He could easily become the new leader of the MAGA cult and continue Trumpism for the foreseeable future.
The amendment further states that after the hypothetical cabal above makes this assertion, the President gets the opportunity to rebut such by writing a letter that says “Nuh uh.”
At which point things get messy and murky, involving the consideration of Congress, in a process that cannot be predicted because it’s never been invoked and nobody really knows how it would work in practice.
Consider the 25th a dead end, unless Trump suffers a massively debilitating stroke and is clearly and inarguably a drooling lump.
Never. He has the gravitas of wet toilet paper.
It’s a mystery to me what hold Trump has over the faithful but it seems not to be transferrable, not to Don Jr or Vance or anyone else. It will be interesting to see what happens when he’s gone.
What I was thinking. It’s possible, but I can’t see it as “easy.” Hardcore Trumpers don’t just want what Trump says and does repeated by anyone with a pulse. They want the man himself. Argue against that if you think just anyone can pick up the mantle.
IMO @Cervaise nailed it procedurally. It would certainly go to Congress and any R congresscritter who dared vote trump out would by lynched by local MAGAts on their next visit to their home state / district.
Ditto impeachment.
The only way IMO a 25A might work is if trump’s actions become so disastrous, and the rest of the ruling cabal lets him get away with it, that a Great Depression or WW-III is now raging and it’s clear to the NAGAts that trump’s blunderung caused it.
Speaking of World War III, remember that the POTUS, whoever that is, has the sole authority to launch nuclear missiles.
Since you brought up Don, Jr., has there been any discussion that he might run for governor of Florida or some other state in 2026?
It certainly hasn’t come up when I talked to him.
Slight hijack here, but has there ever been a popular movement like this with a charismatic leader/demagogue that’s actually survived the loss of that person, and then thrived afterward?
I can’t think of any off the top of my head- most of them either regress to the mean, or fall apart completely once that happens.
As I’ve said elsewhere, the major “plus” Vance has over his boss is that he has no interest in pursuing Trump’s personal vendettas. That and he’s marginally less likely to be racist against Indian people.
But now he can relax. He doesn’t have to do anything except play golf and seek revenge, which he thrives on. Throw in a rally here and there to get that sweet adulation and that’s his presidency.
The cult will never follow anyone else. That’s why it’s a cult. When Trump dies, it all falls apart. Unfortunately, the damage to the country will already be done.