Democrats call for removal of Trump; push back from some Republicans too

US President Donald Trump’s stark warning of wiping out an entire “civilisation” in Iran has triggered a fierce political backlash in Washington, drawing sharp condemnation from Democrats and unease — even dissent — from sections of his own Republican Party.

The remarks, made amid escalating tensions in the West Asia, have intensified calls among Democratic leaders to invoke the 25th Amendment to remove the president from office, with critics branding his rhetoric “unhinged”, “reckless”, and tantamount to advocating war crimes.

Leading the charge, former vice-president Kamala Harris accused Trump of threatening mass destruction without a coherent strategy. She described the comments as “abhorrent”, warning that such recklessness endangers American troops, undermines global standing, and worsens economic pressures at home.

Democratic senator Ed Markey went further, declaring that congressional action alone would not suffice. Calling Trump an “unstable warmonger”, Markey said removal from office must be the “top priority”, whether through the 25th Amendment or impeachment. “We cannot leave this man in charge of America’s nuclear weapons,” he cautioned.

A chorus of Democratic lawmakers echoed similar sentiments. Congresswoman Ilhan Omar demanded immediate action — “Invoke the 25th Amendment. Impeach. Remove”. Congressman Ro Khanna termed the threat a violation of both the US Constitution and the Geneva Conventions, while Melanie Stansbury urged House speaker Mike Johnson to reconvene Congress urgently.

Illinois governor J.B. Pritzker described the rhetoric as that of a “deranged madman,” insisting the constitutional mechanism for removal must be activated. Others, including Jimmy Gomez, Robert Garcia, and Bonnie Watson Coleman, warned that Trump’s statements risked spiralling into a broader global crisis and placed both civilians and US service members in danger.

Democrats on the House Foreign Affairs Committee collectively described the remarks as “dangerous” and evidence of a president “out of his depth,” while Congressman Mark Pocan said any attack on civilian infrastructure would constitute a war crime, questioning whether it was time to invoke constitutional safeguards.

Even within Republican ranks, the comments drew discomfort. Senator Ron Johnson publicly distanced himself from Trump’s rhetoric, saying he hoped the remarks were merely “bluster.” “We are not at war with the Iranian people,” he said, cautioning against targeting civilian infrastructure.

In a rare break with Trump, former Republican Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene, who has previously been a staunch ally, also invoked the 25th Amendment, calling the idea of destroying an entire civilisation “evil and madness”.

The White House, however, dismissed the criticism outright. Spokesman Davis Ingle rejected Democratic calls for removal as “pathetic,” accusing the opposition of long-standing political hostility toward Trump and describing them as “deranged, weak, and ineffective”.

The escalating rhetoric has deepened political divisions at a time of heightened geopolitical risk, with lawmakers warning that the stakes extend far beyond partisan lines. As tensions with Iran continue to simmer, the controversy underscores growing concern in Washington over the direction of US policy — and the limits of presidential power in moments of crisis.

With PTI inputs