On Easter morning, April 5, 2026, President Donald Trump ignited a political firestorm with a post on Truth Social that blended threats against Iran, coarse language, and a religious phrase that stunned both allies and adversaries. The message, which included an F-bomb and the phrase "Praise be to Allah" alongside renewed threats to force open the Strait of Hormuz, has triggered a new round of calls—mostly from Democrats and some commentators—for the president’s Cabinet to invoke the 25th Amendment, a rarely used constitutional measure designed to remove a president deemed unfit for office.
Trump’s post, written in his signature bombastic style, declared: "Tuesday will be Power Plant Day, and Bridge Day, all wrapped up in one, in Iran. There will be nothing like it!!! Open the Fin’ Strait, you crazy b***s, or you’ll be living in Hell - JUST WATCH! Praise be to Allah. President DONALD J. TRUMP." According to Newsweek, the message came as the Iran war, now dragging into its second month, continues to claim lives and threaten global stability.
Senator Chris Murphy, a Democrat from Connecticut, was among the first to publicly urge the Cabinet to take action. "If I were in Trump's Cabinet, I would spend Easter calling constitutional lawyers about the 25th Amendment," Murphy posted, calling the president’s statement "completely, utterly unhinged." He added, "He's already killed thousands. He's going to kill thousands more." The "thousands" cited by Murphy refer to the mounting toll of the conflict: HRANA, a U.S.-based rights group, has reported 3,531 deaths—including 1,607 civilians—while the International Federation of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies notes at least 1,900 killed and 20,000 injured in the strikes so far, as reported by Reuters. The tally also includes 13 U.S. military service members lost since the conflict began.
Trump’s online outburst was not only met with domestic concern. Iranian officials, responding through their embassy in Thailand, offered a scathing rebuke: "We get it that you're a blood thirsty empire in decline, but you don't have to show your inferiority by this language. Allah is far greater and all-encompassing to be used by your Najis mouth. Go ruin some more enterprise and never come back to global politics." The diplomatic spat underscores the deepening animosity and the high stakes surrounding the Strait of Hormuz, a vital waterway for energy supplies. According to Newsweek, roughly one-fifth of the world’s oil shipments pass through the strait, and any disruption could send shockwaves through global markets.
Despite Trump’s threats, the Strait of Hormuz has not been fully closed to international shipping. Vessels from China, several European nations, and others continue to transit the waterway, albeit under heightened security and with coordination from regional navies. Iranian officials maintain that the strait remains open to the "world"—though they reserve the right to restrict access for perceived enemies. The result is a patchwork system where passage is uneven rather than entirely blocked.
These latest tensions come on the heels of a dramatic escalation in February, when the United States and Israel targeted Iranian military leaders, killing Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and several high-ranking officials. Iran retaliated with missile and drone strikes on Israel and Gulf Arab states hosting U.S. forces, pushing the region closer to the brink.
The uproar over Trump’s post has revived debate over the 25th Amendment, a constitutional provision ratified in 1967 to address presidential incapacity. As reported by The Independent, the amendment was drafted in the aftermath of President John F. Kennedy’s assassination to ensure clear procedures for replacing a president or vice president in cases of death, removal, resignation, or incapacitation. Section 1 of the amendment states: "In case of the removal of the President from office or of his death or resignation, the Vice President shall become President." Section 4, which has never been used, allows the vice president and a majority of the Cabinet to declare the president unable to discharge the powers and duties of the office, making the vice president the acting president. If the president contests this determination, Congress is tasked with resolving the dispute.
The amendment is widely seen as a measure of last resort. Its first significant use was in 1973, when President Richard Nixon nominated Congressman Gerald R. Ford as vice president after Spiro Agnew resigned. Less than a year later, Ford became president when Nixon himself resigned in the wake of Watergate. Since then, the amendment has been invoked only for routine medical procedures—by Presidents Reagan (1985), George W. Bush (2002, 2007), and Biden (2021)—when anesthesia temporarily rendered them unable to fulfill their duties. Section 4, the most drastic provision, has never been triggered.
Calls to invoke the 25th Amendment are not new in recent American politics. Both Trump and his predecessor, Joe Biden, have faced scrutiny over their fitness to serve, largely due to their advanced ages. Trump, nearing his 80th birthday, and Biden, who left office at 82, have each set records for being the oldest person elected president. Democrats previously called for the Cabinet to invoke Section 4 after the January 6, 2021, Capitol riot and again in August after Trump removed Lisa Cook from the Federal Reserve board, citing concerns about the stability of the U.S. economy.
Commentators and political figures have weighed in with strong opinions following Trump’s latest post. John Harwood, a former CNN White House correspondent, asserted, "the 25th Amendment was written for precisely this situation. Trump cannot think clearly. He cannot function effectively as president. Unfortunately Republican Party leaders are weak, low-character people unwilling to even try acting honorably." Adam Cochran, a professor at Mesa State College, took it further: "Failing to invoke the 25th Amendment at this point, is a violation of their own oaths to this country. It should be seen as nothing short of criminal negligence, and they should be held fully liable for the death and destruction that stems from this." Patrick Henningsen, founder of 21st Century Wire, called Trump’s post a "satanic rant on Easter" and labeled it an "abomination" and a "disgrace to his office & the country." He urged, "For the good of the nation, and safety of the world - this failing President needs to be removed from office ASAP."
Yet, invoking Section 4 is no simple feat. Only the vice president and a majority of the Cabinet can initiate the process, and the threshold for proving presidential incapacity is intentionally high. Congress, if called upon, would have to weigh the evidence and make a final determination—a process fraught with political risk and uncertainty.
As the war in Iran grinds on and domestic divisions deepen, the question of whether the 25th Amendment will be used remains unanswered. For now, the president’s words and actions continue to reverberate at home and abroad, leaving the country—and the world—watching anxiously for what comes next.