Is Trump being impeached over threat to Iran? What to know Tuesday – Delawareonline.com
Lawmakers are calling to impeach and remove President Donald Trump from office amid threats to Iran and threats to destroy an entire civilization on Tuesday night if his demands are not met.
Here’s what to know about the 25th amendment and new articles of impeachment that have been filed against the president.
On Easter Sunday, Trump blasted Iran in a expletive-laden threat to reopen the Strait of Hormuz or “you’ll be living in Hell” by Tuesday 8 p.m., via his Truth Social account. The threat escalated on Tuesday morning with another post from the president:
“A whole civilization will die tonight, never to be brought back again. I don’t want that to happen, but it probably will. However, now that we have Complete and Total Regime Change, where different, smarter, and less radicalized minds prevail, maybe something revolutionarily wonderful can happen, WHO KNOWS? We will find out tonight, one of the most important moments in the long and complex history of the World. 47 years of extortion, corruption, and death, will finally end. God Bless the Great People of Iran!” Trump wrote at 8 a.m.
The first message threatening Iran on Easter Sunday brought about a firestorm of calls for impeachment or direct removal via the 25th amendment from various lawmakers, including Senator Chris Murphy (Dem-Connecticut) who said on X, “If I were in Trump’s Cabinet, I would spend Easter calling constitutional lawyers about the 25th Amendment. This is completely, utterly unhinged. He’s already killed thousands. He’s going to kill thousands more.”
On Monday, April 6, Rep. John Larson, D-Conn introduced 13 articles of impeachment against Trump for high crimes and misdemeanors and charging the president with “murder, war crimes and piracy” among other allegations over the president’s military intervention in Venezuela, the deployment of National Guard troops to cities across the country and his executive order to end birthright citizenship.
After the Tuesday morning post from Trump threatening Iran that “a whole civilization will die tonight,” more lawmakers, including Congressman Paul D. Tonko (NY-20) released a statement begging the House, “For love of country, for the freedoms we cherish and for the values we hold dear, the House must immediately reconvene and vote to impeach Donald Trump.”
Congress remains on a two-week spring break for the Easter holiday and is expected back in DC on Monday, April 13.
Tonko described Trump as “increasingly unhinged” and accused him of “publicly threatening to commit genocide.” He said “We cannot fall prey to indifference or apathy, believing that the President’s words are mere idle threats. He is the Commander in Chief of the most powerful military the world has ever seen. He has already launched an illegal war of choice against a country that posed no imminent military threat to the United States.”
Trump was already impeached twice during his first term, the first in 2019 over his dealings with Ukraine and the second at the end of his term over accusations of him inciting the Capitol attack on Jan. 6, 2021, however he was acquitted in the Senate both times.
Here’s what to know about the 25th amendment section 4 and getting the president impeached.
While Trump is not currently being impeached there have been multiple articles of impeachment filed, including the most recent resolution H. Res. 115 filed on Monday, April 6, 2026. Other resolutions this term were voted on and tabled.
Impeachment requires a majority vote in the House to approve charges against a government official for treason, bribery or other serious abuse of power or misconduct, and then a two-thirds majority in the Senate to convict and remove the official from office.
A third impeachment for would likely face significant political barriers due to the current Republican-controlled House and Senate.
However, a Democratic win in the House or Senate in this year’s midterms elections, would give them control of at least one of the congressional branches in government and make it harder for Trump to pass his agenda, result in a likely push back on Republican cuts in social spending or requiring more deals when it comes time to raise the debt ceiling, or pushing for impeachment.
According to the Polymarket, odds show a 12% chance that Trump will be impeached by end of 2026. Meanwhile Kalshi betting odds show a 5% chance he’ll be impeached by Jun. 1, 2026; 14% chance by Jan. 1, 2027 and 67% chance by Jan. 1, 2028.
There are four sections in the 25th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution ratified in 1967 after President John F. Kennedy was assassinated, to establish clear rules for presidential succession, one of which includes the involuntary removal of a president.
The first section states that if the president dies, resigns or is removed, such as in impeachment, the vice president becomes president; the second section notes that if the VP office is open, the president picks one with a majority vote in Congress; and the third one states the president can voluntarily hand over power to the VP in the event of a disability or such, by notifying Congress and then take it back.
Section 4 however, allows the vice president and majority of the Cabinet to declare the president is incapacitated or unable to discharge the powers and duties of his office, (where the president does not voluntarily declare such as in the third section). The declaration would require a two-thirds vote from Congress that the president is unable to serve and the VP takes over.
The amendment ensures the country is never without a leader and Sec. 3 has been used several times when presidents were undergoing medical procedures or surgeries, however the 4th section has never been invoked.