A constitutional law expert at Yale said if Vice President Mike Pence chose to use the 25th amendment, he could likely strip President Donald Trump of his powers within the hour.
Professor Harold Koh produced a reader’s guide to the 25th Amendment with Yale Law School. He said there is also a scenario where the 25th Amendment could be used as a negotiation tool to get Trump to fall in line, like previous presidents caught in scandal.
“You know, we had all thought that Richard Nixon was about as low as it gets, but Richard Nixon had at least the self-awareness to leave when people told him to resign. But we have no sense that there is any sort of internal compass for this person, and he has access to the nuclear codes,” Koh said.
Koh said it would be the first time the United States would use the fourth clause of the 25th amendment: involuntary removal.
He said Pence would need the support of eight heads of office to do it, and Congress would later vote on how long he would keep presidential powers.