General Discussion
Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsThere Are Only Four Ways a President Leaves Office Unwillingly
1. Impeachment and Removal by Congress - This is a very difficult thing to accomplish. So far, in our history, no President has been removed from office through Congressional action.
2. Action under the 25th Amendment - This must be initiated by the President, or the Vice-President and a majority of the current Cabinet. The President, in the second case, can object and resume office. Only a 2/3 vote of both houses of Congress can reverse the President's decision. The 25th Amendment has never been used to remove a President.
3. Failure to be re-elected after a first term in office - This common method of removing a President is the simplest way to do so. It is the most popular method, because of that fact.
4. Death - Presidents have died in office, either of natural causes or by assassination. Historically, death has been the second most common cause of a president leaving office unwillingly.
That's it. Presidents can also leave office in a couple of other ways, but they do not involve an unwilling President being forced out of office.
A President can only serve two terms in office, so any President is automatically removed after the second term, willing or not. Since that is a constitutional process, a President's willingness or unwillingness is irrelevant. The Constitutional Amendment putting this limit in place was created after FDR served multiple terms in office.
A President can also resign from office. That rarely happens, because Presidents generally enjoy holding that office. Richard Nixon is a good example, though. He resigned to avoid the impeachment and removal process. By definition, though, resignation is an action taken by the President, rather than an involuntary removal from office.
Grasswire2
(13,571 posts)onenote
(42,759 posts)The Velveteen Ocelot
(115,836 posts)And the sooner, the better. Fat Nixon wrecks something every day he's squatting in our house.
MineralMan
(146,329 posts)Why we are not spending most of our time on that, I do not understand. The next Presidential election is just over a year away. That is the method I recommend, and it's also the most reliable one.
However, I also recommend pursuing the impeachment and removal option, even if removal is highly unlikely. That process can trigger a resignation.
The Velveteen Ocelot
(115,836 posts)even with the understanding that it probably won't result in a conviction, because the evidence that it uncovers is likely to influence public opinion before the election. Nixon won every state but Massachusetts in the 1972 election and started his second term with an approval rating in the 60+% range. By the time he resigned after the Watergate investigations it was about 25%. But obviously the best hope is to defeat Fat Nixon's ugly orange ass in 2020, and every effort should be made to be sure that happens - but while the House keeps turning over rocks.
At the same time, we can hope he keeps gorging himself on Big Macs and KFC just to improve the chances of one of the other outcomes.
lagomorph777
(30,613 posts)LeftInTX
(25,551 posts)Lightening doesn't strike twice......
Cirque du So-What
(25,973 posts)I'm good with that too.
The Velveteen Ocelot
(115,836 posts)Sounds like a process too disgusting even for space aliens. On the other hand, if he was chosen for probing maybe they'd be so grossed out they'd go away and never bother Earth again.
Takket
(21,625 posts)Presidential duties. Until then he is still the president.
Javaman
(62,534 posts)MineralMan
(146,329 posts)What SWAT team? From what jurisdiction? Your idea is just plain silly.
The Velveteen Ocelot
(115,836 posts)My fantasy involves psych hospital personnel trundling him out of the WH on a hand truck, wrapped up in a straightjacket and wearing a hockey mask like Hannibal Lecter. That's not going to happen either, but it's an entertaining vision.
MineralMan
(146,329 posts)It's a waste of time.
The Velveteen Ocelot
(115,836 posts)Javaman
(62,534 posts)humor, to me, is never a waste of time.
Cheers.
The Velveteen Ocelot
(115,836 posts)at140
(6,110 posts)The only serious method which has the best chance of removing Trump is uniting behind who ever will be the democratic nominee and work your bottom off to help her/him get elected.
cwydro
(51,308 posts)Let me see: the orange ass will be removed and Hillary will be be installed as the rightful president, Pelosi is going to become president, hell be arrested in the White House and frogmarched to the pokey, the 25th will be invoked, then there are the many, many theories regarding death by stroke, heart attack, syphilis, drug overdose....
Ive seen all that and more here on a startlingly regular basis.
MineralMan
(146,329 posts)They waste our time and have nothing to do with reality.
Reality is hard. It has rules and steps one has to go through. For impatient people, such rules are ridiculous. So, they come up with cockamamie ideas that are even more ridiculous.
It's very frustrating, since we have real methods that can be used. Personally, I think the 2020 election is how we'll get rid of Trump, so we need to be focused on winning that election. One way or another there will be an election for President next November. That's certain, so why not work on that, where we can actually do something ourselves instead of just chatter on and on about stuff that is impossible?
cwydro
(51,308 posts)Its not a good look for the site imo.
exboyfil
(17,865 posts)indefinitely. After every vote the President (who is still the President) petitions Congress for return to office. The Vice President is only acting until resignation, impeachment, failure to petition Congress again, the next election, or death.
The 25th is like The Walking Dead version of impeachment and practically much harder (1/2 the Cabinet and 2/3rds of both Houses when impeachment only requires majority in the House and 2/3rds in the Senate).
MineralMan
(146,329 posts)I've always thought it sounded impossible as a way to get rid of a President. Impeachment is much easier, really.
The Velveteen Ocelot
(115,836 posts)in order to prevent the removal or sidelining of a president for political reasons. Even though Trump seems to be nuttier than squirrel poop these days, I don't see anybody trying to use the 25th.
MineralMan
(146,329 posts)can get at least half of the cabinet to support him. Without that, nothing happens. If the President becomes ill and cannot act as President, then that's a different matter, but that doesn't seem to be the situation.
Pence isn't much of a leader, and most of Trump's cabinet members owe their position to Trump, so, I can't imagine any 25th Amendment action even getting off the ground.
Yes, it's a difficult thing to use. So difficult, that I can't imagine it actually being used in any situation where there is a President who is even sort of coherent. It's just not a likely course of action.
Congress plays no role in the 25th Amendment unless there is a conflict between a President and his VP and cabinet.
Really, it's a pretty useless thing, except in the case of a sudden illness or disability on the part of the President. The rest of it is a highly improbable scenario.
tritsofme
(17,399 posts)And stop action? The 25th amendment calls for the vice president and a majority of the cabinet officers to declare him unfit, I wonder if there are no cabinet officers would the decision fall to the vice president alone, or would he be unable to act, lacking a quorum of cabinet officers to constitute a majority?
cwydro
(51,308 posts)I gotta remember that one.
FreeState
(10,580 posts)MineralMan
(146,329 posts)Lib 4 Life
(97 posts)at140
(6,110 posts)gopiscrap
(23,765 posts)tinrobot
(10,916 posts)GulfCoast66
(11,949 posts)Everything else is just noise.
MineralMan
(146,329 posts)My point.