Donald Trump has been persistent in his intention to acquire Greenland, prompting some Democrats to suggest the 25th Amendment as a potential response.
Since returning to office last year, Trump has expressed a desire for the U.S. to acquire the Danish territory, arguing that it is necessary for national security reasons.
This proposal has faced significant criticism from European leaders, leading Trump to threaten a ten percent tariff on goods from eight European countries, starting in February.
If an agreement for the “complete and total purchase of Greenland” is not achieved by June, the tariffs are expected to increase to 25 percent.
There is concern that a military action to acquire Greenland could trigger World War Three, with some of Trump’s critics advocating for the invocation of the 25th Amendment to remove him from office.
The 25th Amendment was introduced after the assassination of John F. Kennedy in 1963.
Section 4 of this amendment allows the transfer of presidential powers to the vice president without the president being ousted from office.
Although likely to be blocked by the president, Congress has the authority to enforce this power transfer with a two-thirds majority in both the Senate and the House of Representatives.
Under section four, the vice president, JD Vance, along with a majority of the 15-member Cabinet, must agree that the president is unable to fulfill their responsibilities.
The 25th Amendment has never been used to remove a president, although it has been invoked twice for vice presidents in the past.
Maxine Waters, a California Democrat, previously called for assertive measures to remove Trump from office.
She stated: “He wants to control the Fed. He wants to be able to determine interest rates. He wants to be able to have the people on the governing board that will do exactly as they are told. This is extraordinarily dangerous. This is the makings of a dictator who is trying to control the entire economy.”
Waters suggested that the administration’s actions could destabilize the entire economy and advocated for the use of Article 25.
Democrat Ed Markey also expressed his stance, writing on X: “Invoke the 25th Amendment,” following a New York Times report on Trump’s continued pursuit of Greenland after not receiving the Nobel Peace Prize.
In correspondence with Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre, Trump made alarming comments about not solely prioritizing peace, mentioning retaliation against an allied nation over the Nobel Peace Prize decision, saying, “your Country decided not to give me the Nobel Peace Prize for having stopped 8 wars PLUS”.