Could Trump’s actions in Iran be considered a war crime?
International law experts say U.S. attacks on critical infrastructure in Iran, such as bridges and power plants, could violate international law.
President Donald Trump’s recent inflammatory statements about Iran have sparked a backlash from US officials, including Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker, who called for Trump’s removal from office.
Here’s what the governor said:
What did President Trump say about Iran?
Early Tuesday morning, President Trump warned in a Truth Social post that unless Iran agrees to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, the entire Iranian civilization will disappear.
“Tonight, an entire civilization will perish, never to rise again,” Trump wrote. “I don’t want that to happen, but it probably will.”
The comments came hours before an 8pm ET deadline for Iran to reach a deal or face widespread attacks targeting the country’s power plants and bridges.
“Tonight marks one of the most important moments in the world’s long and complex history: 47 years of extortion, corruption, and death will finally come to an end,” Trump wrote. “God bless the great people of Iran!”
How did Pritzker react to Trump?
Pritzker hopped on the X show late Tuesday morning to denounce Trump’s warnings, writing, “This is not foreign policy. This is a crazy man threatening to wipe out an entire country.”
Pritzker also called for President Trump’s removal from office, saying, “The time has passed. We must invoke the 25th Amendment.”
What is the 25th Amendment?
The 25th Amendment centers on the orderly transfer of power in the event of a president’s death, resignation, removal from office, or incapacity.
Under the proposed amendment, the vice president would be the first person to take over for the president in such cases.
Section 4 of the amendment authorizes the vice president and a majority of the Cabinet, or the vice president and a majority of “any other authority” established by Congress, to declare the president “unable to discharge the powers and duties of his office.” This allows the vice president to immediately assume the powers and duties of the president.
In that case, the president could declare that “no incompetence exists” unless the vice president and the agency further strengthen the initial declaration within four days.
The decision then goes to Congress, which must decide by a two-thirds majority vote whether the president is unfit for office.
What are the chances of the 25th Amendment becoming law?
In theory, the 25th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution can be invoked even if opposed by a sitting president, including President Trump. But the hurdles for allowing its use are much higher than for other measures, such as impeachment.
Modern interpretations by scholars at institutions like Cornell Law and the Congressional Research Service say that for Article 4 to be effective, a majority, if not all, of the acting Cabinet members would need to sign on with the vice president.
Neither J.D. Vance nor any member of his Cabinet has expressed support for removing President Trump from office or taking punitive action against him.
The fact that a person is judged to be “incompetent” to serve as president is a sticking point when discussing Article 4. For example, Yale Law School said that historical precedent suggests that characteristics such as “incompetent,” “lazy,” and “careless” alone are unlikely to be sufficient grounds for a lawsuit.
MTG and NAACP join wave for 25th Amendment
Former Republican Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene has joined a wave of public officials calling for the 25th Amendment to be used to remove President Trump from office.
“The 25th Amendment!!! Not a single bomb has been dropped on America,” Greene said in the X post. “You cannot kill an entire civilization. This is evil and madness.”
The NAACP also called for the amendment in a public statement, with President and CEO Derrick Johnson saying, “This president is unfit, unwell, and mentally unstable.”
Several Democratic lawmakers, including Rep. Yasamin Ansari (D-Ariz.), Sen. Ed Markey (D-Mass.), and Rep. Sidney Kamlager-Dove (D-Calif.), previously made similar declarations in January when the president sent a text message to Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gare Stoer about the U.S. plan to take over Greenland.
Contributors: Francesca Chambers, Christopher Cann, Michael Loria, Kim Hjelmgaard, USA TODAY
