(Breitbart) – Scores of popular twitter users, including many media personalities and pundits, posted tweets on Friday citing the 25th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, which provides for a process for removing a president who is “unable to discharge the powers and duties of his office.”
Fox Business reporter Susan Li noted that “#Google searches on the #25thAmendment SURGED up! after the news broke”:
2 of my favorite indicators on President #Trump #COVID19 diagnosis#Google searches on the #25thAmendment SURGED 🆙 after the news broke
Also betting markets showed⬆️in the chances that #JoeBiden & VP #MikePence will become #President
Real money betting #Election2020 outcome🇺🇸 pic.twitter.com/QXvsUYcaWG— Susan Li (@SusanLiTV) October 2, 2020
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MSNBC analyst David Corn was quick to invoke the amendment:
25th Amendment? https://t.co/4aDeSEKQKK
— David Corn (@DavidCornDC) October 2, 2020
CNN Chief International Anchor Christiane Amanpour tweeted that constitutional law expert Deborah Pearlstein says the 25th amendment provides for a scenario of President Trump’s diagnosis worsening:
What happens if President Trump’s diagnosis worsens? Constitutional law expert @DebPearlstein says the 25th amendment provides for that eventuality – but it gets a lot more complicated if the president himself doesn’t believe he is incapacitated, while those around him do… pic.twitter.com/Lqtji4lTZm
— Christiane Amanpour (@camanpour) October 2, 2020
USA TODAY justice and legal affairs reporter Kristine Phillips said, “It’s too soon to talk about the president’s demise, but it’s not too soon to talk about the 25th Amendment. Trump’s symptoms could get worse and could affect his thinking.”:
It's too soon to talk about the president's demise, but it's not too soon to talk about the 25th Amendment. Trump's symptoms could get worse and could affect his thinking. https://t.co/XKPtHCJ327 via @usatoday
— Kristine Phillips 🤦♀️ (@bykristinep) October 2, 2020
Author Michael Beschloss also referenced the amendment:
Here is the draft of a letter to be sent by President Reagan passing power to Vice President Bush under 25th Amendment after his March 1981 shooting—it was never signed and sent, even though Reagan required anesthesia and was under intensive care: pic.twitter.com/ScsHUeVChO
— Michael Beschloss (@BeschlossDC) October 2, 2020
In an even more extreme scenario being promoted, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi is depicted as possibly taking over as president as MSNBC’s Stephanie Ruhle, speaking with Pelosi, stated: “You are second in line for the presidency. Has the White House contacted you about the continuity of government?”
MSNBC’s @SRuhle to @SpeakerPelosi: “You are second in line for the presidency. Has the White House contacted you about the continuity of government?” pic.twitter.com/HsanZxEiNh
— Tom Elliott (@tomselliott) October 2, 2020
Political operative Ford O’Connell, noting all the talk about the 25th Amendment, stated that “the level of nonsense flying around in the media is beyond outrageous”:
The level of nonsense flying around in the media is beyond outrageous.
People are talking about the 25th Amendment, the nuclear arsenal and the line of succession, and it is not even 3:00 PM ET.
Get a grip folks, it's too much – especially for a Friday.
— Ford O'Connell (@FordOConnell) October 2, 2020
Newsmax TV tweeted out that Alan Dershowitz stated that there’s no need to ‘seriously’ consider the 25th Amendment at this time:
There's no need to think 'seriously' about the 25th Amendment at this time, Alan Dershowitz told Newsmax TV: https://t.co/S9Py4CDMjH pic.twitter.com/B6U46vMlEd
— Newsmax (@newsmax) October 2, 2020
Despite associating the implementation of the 25th Amendment with the President’s COVID diagnosis, opponents have discussed invoking the amendment to oust him from the presidency on frequent occasion since his election.
breitbart.com/the-media/2020/10/02/media-promotes-25th-amendment-scenario-following-trump-covid-diagnosis/