October 12, 2017
Although every day that Trump occupies the Oval Office brings fresh degradation of American values and principles, yesterday brought alarming evidence of Trump’s violent and autocratic nature. During a July meeting with his National Security advisors to discuss his desire to pull out of the Iran nuclear deal, Trump was shown a chart showing how our nuclear arsenal decreased over time. Although any casual consumer of the news in the last two decades would know that our reduced arsenal was the result of numerous nuclear non-proliferation treaties, the information apparently took Trump by surprise. He reacted by requesting a tenfold increase in our nuclear arsenal, prompting Secretary of State Rex Tillerson to call Trump a “f__king moron.” (Source: Trump Wanted a Tenfold Increase in Nuclear Arsenal, Surprising Military,” by Courtney Kube, Kristen Welker, Carol E. Lee and Savannah Guthrie, NBCNews.com, 10/11/17). If anything, Tillerson was being too kind. Trump is a bloodthirsty imbecile who has no business with access to the nuclear launch codes. As Gabriel Sherman frighteningly detailed, White House Chief of Staff, John Kelly and Defense Secretary, James Mattis, have openly discussed what to do if Trump orders a nuclear first strike (Source: “I Hate Everyone in The White House!”: Trump Seethes As Advisors Fear the President is Unraveling,” by Gabriel Sherman, Vanity Fair, 10/11/17). Clearly, Bob Corker’s remarks to The New York Times were the tip of the iceberg.
Washington insiders are openly speculating that Trump might be deposed through an invocation of the 25th Amendment and even repulsive walking pustule, Steve Bannon, lays Trump’s odds of serving out his term at a dismal 30%. Yet before we become convinced that a Constitutional deus ex machina will deliver us from the pestilence of this administration, we should read the text of the amendment and consider the likelihood that current Executive Branch personnel would avail themselves of it.
Section 4 of The 25th Amendment provides that, “Whenever the Vice President and a majority of either the principal officers of the executive departments or such other body as Congress may provide, transmit to the President pro tempore of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives their written declaration that the President is unable to discharge the powers and duties of his office, the Vice President shall immediately assume the powers and duties of the office as Acting President.”
The current roster of Cabinet Secretaries have not distinguished themselves thus far by their display of dedication to our country’s highest ideals. Each of them seems to view their department as a personal fiefdom from which to dole out profit making opportunities to their buddies in the fossil fuel, financial services or for- profit education industries. They range from Mensa members, Rick Perry and Betsy DeVos, to High Plains Grifter, Ryan Zinke, who shares a fondness for private jet travel with deposed HHS Secretary, Tom Price. It is also doubtful that the current Republican Congressional majority will enact legislation creating a body empowered to pass judgment on the President’s fitness for office. Our only realistic chance to get rid of Trump is to turn Congress blue in 2018. We’re relying on the wrong amendment. The 25th Amendment won’t save us. It is up to the 14th and 15th.
#Stopvotersuppression
#Endgerrymandering