Trump's Iran threats resonate even after ceasefire announcement

WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump may have backed down on his Tuesday threat to eliminate the “whole” Iranian civilization, but Democrats hope his social media posts triggered enough outcry to buoy them to a congressional majority and, possibly, lead to a push to impeach Trump for the first time this term and the third time since he was first elected president in 2016.

Trump made the threat to eliminate the country with a population of more than 90 million amid ongoing negotiations to end the conflict between Iran and the U.S. On Tuesday night, Trump announced a two-week ceasefire, which would lead to Iran’s reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, but by Wednesday afternoon, it wasn’t clear if the ceasefire would hold.

Still, the harsh flavor of his rhetoric has galvanized Democrats and even spurred concern from Republicans who are traditionally simpatico with the 47th president.

In the House, a growing group of Democrats are doubling down on calls to bring impeachment articles against Trump or invoke the 25th Amendment to remove him from the presidency, which would require support from the majority of Trump’s Cabinet.

“I’m relieved Trump did not destroy an entire civilization last night, but his unhinged threat and illegal war make it clear he is unfit to serve as president,” Rep. Pramila Jayapal, D-Wash., wrote in a post Wednesday. “Trump needs to be removed from office.”

Two Democratic members — Reps. Shri Thanedar of Michigan and Jasmine Crockett of Texas — have sent letters to Trump’s Cabinet urging them to remove him, while other Democrats have issued statements supporting the 25th on social media. Rep. John B. Larson, D-Conn., introduced impeachment articles against Trump this week.

“Temporary ceasefire or not, Trump already committed an impeachable offense,” Rep. Seth Moulton, D-Mass., wrote in a post. “Congress needs to get back to work and remove him from office before he does more damage to our country and the world.”

“This is a temporary fix to a crisis of his making and a direct response to the overwhelming public backlash to his illegal war,” Rep. Frank Pallone Jr., D-N.J., wrote.

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., however, has yet to publicly call for Trump’s impeachment or removal. Since Trump’s threat, he has called on Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., to reconvene Congress early to pass a resolution to end the war with Iran.

By contrast, fewer Senate Democrats have called for impeachment or use of the 25th Amendment.

Still, a few have jumped on the bandwagon.

Sen. Edward J. Markey, D-Mass., called on both chambers to reconvene and said, “The House must pass articles of impeachment, and then the Senate must vote to convict and remove the President. Or, the cabinet and Vice President, with congressional concurrence, must invoke the 25th Amendment and remove Trump.”

“It does seem Trump has lost touch with reality,” Sen. Christopher S. Murphy, D-Conn., told CNN on Tuesday night. “The president has promised to commit war crimes. He promised to eradicate an entire civilization. We have never, ever seen that in the history of this country and that is why I, and many other people, have been talking for the last 24 hours about the 25th Amendment.”

Both options are seen as unrealistic among most of the Senate Democratic Conference: To convict Trump during an impeachment trial in the Senate requires a two-thirds vote, or 67 senators voting to remove him. That threshold was not met during the two impeachment hearings in Trump’s first term.

While the 25th Amendment has been used in the past to temporarily transfer power amid medical procedures, its Section 4 has never been invoked to remove a president from office against their will.

If it were invoked, Trump could dispute it, which would kick the decision to Congress. It would then require a two-thirds vote from both chambers.

Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse, D-R.I., acknowledged the difficulty in invoking the 25th, saying, “unfortunately, invoking the 25th is not realistic right now, given his oddball cabinet of sycophants and eccentrics, and Republican ‘spines of foam.’ We’re going to have to buckle down and win this the old-fashioned way.”

Senate Democratic leaders are eyeing other ways to hold the administration accountable outside of impeachment, using other levers in Washington and back at home in their states, including pursuing more War Power Resolution votes, possible shadow hearings and events in states highlighting the cost of the war, a Democratic staffer said.

Senate Minority Leader Charles E. Schumer, D-N.Y., said Wednesday Democrats would be forcing another War Powers Vote when they return next week.

“Congress must reassert its authority, especially at this dangerous moment. No president, Democrat or Republican, should take this country to war alone. Not now, not ever,” Schumer said at a press conference. “Republicans will once again have the opportunity to join Democrats and end this reckless war of choice.”

Deal with Iran or not, it appears Democrats’ calls for Johnson and Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., to reconvene Congress early and address Iran have fallen on deaf ears. Neither chamber is scheduled to return to D.C. until next week.

Some GOP dismay

While some Republican lawmakers were also aghast at Trump’s threat, none joined the calls of their Democratic colleagues to remove Trump from office.

Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, a frequent Trump critic, said Trump’s “threat that ‘a whole civilization will die tonight’ cannot be excused away as an attempt to gain leverage in negotiations with Iran.”

“This type of rhetoric is an affront to the ideals our nation has sought to uphold and promote around the world for nearly 250 years,” Murkowski, a member of the Senate Defense Appropriations Subcommittee. “The oppressive, terror-spreading regime of the Islamic Republic must be distinguished from the people and the civilization of Iran.”

But other GOP criticism was more surprising. Sen. Ron Johnson, one of Trump’s most vocal allies from the Senate, said on John Solomon’s podcast, “I do not want to see us start blowing up civilian infrastructure. I do not want to see that. We are not at war with the Iranian people. We are trying to liberate them.”

GOP Rep. Nathaniel Moran of Texas said Trump’s threat “is not who we are, and it is not consistent with the principles that have long guided America.”

No Republicans serving in Congress have so far publicly called for invoking the 25th Amendment or for impeachment in this case.

But the support for Trump outside the halls of the Capitol is shrinking as former members and prominent conservative influencers splinter with the president over the conflict and his rhetoric.

Former Republican Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, a onetime Trump ally who has become a critic, called for use of the 25th Amendment. “Not a single bomb has dropped on America. We cannot kill an entire civilization,” she wrote. Conservative talk show host Candace Owens, also once a loyal backer of Trump, also supported invoking the 25th Amendment and called Trump a “genocidal lunatic.”

“Our Congress and military need to intervene. We are beyond madness,” Owens wrote.

Far-right radio show host Alex Jones also criticized the Trump administration for calling for a “genocide” and said it’s “not how America operates.”

“How do we 25th Amendment his ass?” he asked on a talk show. Later, he said they don’t have the votes for Trump’s impeachment or removal “but the point is it sends a very strong message of stopping.”

“This new Trump … is a disaster. I abhor the Democrats … but currently Trump with this Iran war and the energy crisis and the PR disaster, I mean, the North Korean dictator doesn’t talk like this,” Jones said in a video.

Republican lawmakers were hoping to focus this two-week recess on campaigning on the tax-cut legislation they passed last year through the budget reconciliation process ahead of the midterms this November. But much of the oxygen was sucked up by Trump’s ominous Easter Sunday post.

A poll from the Pew Research Center released on Tuesday found 35 percent of Americans are confident in Trump’s policymaking regarding Iran while 64% lacked confidence. Similarly, an Economist/YouGov survey found 53% of those surveyed oppose it.

“Communist China is more popular than America right now,” Jones said. “I’ve backed Trump … but this existential threat to literally the world existing … it’s just too dangerous.”

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