Trump's social media posts be used as evidence that he's unfit to serve under never-before-used rule
There are renewed calls for the American government to invoke Section 4 of the 25th Amendment to the US Constitution, and with it, potentially strip Donald Trump of his presidential powers over his social media posts.
While Donald Trump was famously booted off X (formerly Twitter) in 2021, he's taken to posting his thoughts on his own social media platform called Truth Social. Here, the POTUS has become a regular poster but grabbed headlines for controversial posts appearing to depict him as Jesus Christ, sharing seemingly offensive videos featuring Barack and Michelle Obama, and claiming that "a whole civilization will die tonight" over the Iran War.
There have been previous rumbles about invoking Section 4 to remove President Trump from office, but in the aftermath of a crushing defeat where the Democrats took control of the House of Representatives and the Senate, they’ve bubbled up again.
With a 'blue tsunami' sweeping across the USA, could Section 4 be used for the first time in American history?
What is Section 4 of the 25th Amendment?
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For nearly 200 years, the U.S. Constitution was called out for a gray area that stated presidential powers would pass to the vice president if the president was unable to "discharge the powers and duties" of the office. It was never constitutionally agreed what this inability was. In the aftermath of President John F. Kennedy's assassination, there were questions about what would've happened if the bullet hadn't killed him, but instead left him with brain damage.
Indiana's Senator Birch Bayh introduced joint resolutions to amend the Constitution in 1965, with Section 4 of the 25th Amendment being formally ratified in 1967.
To be triggered, the vice president and a majority of the Cabinet (or a body that's designated by Congress) have to send a written declaration to the Speaker of the House and the president pro tempore of the Senate, stating that they think the sitting president is unfit for duty.
In the 59 years since, Section 4 has never been invoked, although there have been several 'close calls', going back to the attempted assassination of Ronald Reagan in 1981. Years later, Bayh and Reagan's own medical team say they think Section 4 should've been invoked due to him being in intensive care and under general anesthesia.
A 1987 incident again involved Reagan, when White House aides became concerned that he was becoming distracted, inattentive, and distant.
As for President Trump, there have been several discussions about invoking Section 4.
Media reports and memoirs point to early periods of internal conflict in 2018, while the most infamous potential use of Section 4 came during the January 6 riots in 2021. Trump was accused of inciting the incident, and even though House Speaker Nancy Pelosi called for Vice President Mike Pence, he warned her and Congress to "avoid actions that would further divide and inflame the passions of the moment."
How could Section 4 be used to strip Donald Trump of his presidential powers?
Even in 2026, there have been calls for Section 4 of the 25th Amendment to be used against President Trump. In the aftermath of his Iran 'civilization' post, there were claims that over 50 House Democrats apparently asked for Section 4 to be invoked, while political figures like Hakeem Jeffries and Marjorie Taylor Greene followed suit.
We previously covered how President Trump's digital footprint could be used against him in situations like this, and although there haven't been scenes like the January 6 riots following the midterms, there's continued chatter about Section 4.
As President Trump continues to post on Truth Social, a search of Section 4 and Trump on X comes up with plenty of results.
After the midterms, he's taken aim at the Republican Party and said it would've won if he'd been on the ballot, also locking horns with media ally Fox News. He's also posted an image that suggests he'll use Article I, Section 7 of the U.S. Constitution, to veto bills passed by Congress, but these aren't on the same level as his posts about the Iran War.
Aside from the newly elected Congress not taking office until January 3, 2027, there's another problem.
Despite a massive power shift with the midterms and the Republican Party potentially having future changes blocked, it would still be nearly impossible to actually remove Trump from office.
Section 4 still needs to be triggered by Vice President JD Vance and Trump's cabinet, who he maintains a strong relationship with.
Even if the newly elected Congress and the Cabinet somehow managed to initiate Section 4, President Trump would have a right to contest it in writing. Vance would only remain acting president if two-thirds of the House and the Senate voted against Trump within 21 days, making it much higher than the bar for impeachment.
The Democrats undoubtedly won big at the midterms, but neither party has the two-thirds supermajority needed to force Trump out of the Oval Office. Even if the president's social media posts lead to further calls for Section 4 to be invoked, a midterm victory for the Democrats doesn't bring them any closer to making it happen.
