The return of Donald Trump to the White House has been anything but the stabilized “peace through strength” era his supporters envisioned. Instead, a whirlwind of controversial foreign policy decisions has sparked a rare and blistering rebellion from within the conservative intellectual establishment. Scott McConnell, the co-founder of The American Conservative, is now taking the extraordinary step of calling for the invocation of the 25th Amendment to remove the President from office.
Since the onset of the latest conflict with Iran, the administration has been under a microscope. The coordinated airstrikes executed alongside Israel have triggered a humanitarian and geopolitical crisis that has divided global opinion. The cost of this escalation has been steep: current reports indicate more than 3,000 fatalities, including upwards of 1,000 civilians. As these tensions continue to spiral, McConnell is urging Vice President JD Vance to lead a constitutional transition.
An Unprecedented Proposal
In a series of provocative posts on X (formerly Twitter), McConnell laid out a specific, albeit radical, roadmap for the Vice President to utilize the 25th Amendment—a constitutional mechanism designed for the removal of a president deemed unable to discharge the powers and duties of the office.
According to VT, McConnell’s advice to the Vice President was direct: “Announce your support of 25th amendment transition.”
He further detailed a strategy for Vance to maintain stability and bipartisan appeal during such a volatile period. McConnell suggested:
“Say Chris Murphy or similar will be veep. Announce you will NOT be a candidate in 2028. Use your position, access to the media to explain why this is necessary. Don’t resign.”
McConnell’s endorsement of Senator Chris Murphy, a Democrat, as a potential Vice Presidential replacement stems from his view of Murphy as a “smart” and “not super woke” anti-war voice—a profile McConnell believes is necessary to steer the country away from further military entanglement.
Intelligence Failures and “Genocide” Allegations
While McConnell did not explicitly tether his 25th Amendment call to a single military strike in that specific post, his recent rhetoric has been defined by a sharp critique of the administration’s Middle East strategy. He has previously suggested that Senator Marco Rubio could play a role in a transition by negotiating a ceasefire, which would potentially position Rubio as a GOP frontrunner.
However, McConnell’s most recent commentary took a much darker, more personal turn regarding the President’s relationship with foreign intelligence.
“So Netanyahu fed Trump BS intelligence,” McConnell wrote. “Trump, ignoring his own intelligence agencies, lapped it up. Now because things didn’t work out like the BS intelligence claimed, wants to commit genocide in our name. OK.”
Conflicting Narratives on Peace
The push for removal comes at a time of deep confusion regarding the actual state of diplomacy. President Trump recently signaled optimism, stating that “strong” talks are currently underway with Tehran regarding a potential ceasefire.
Yet, that narrative was quickly challenged by Iranian officials, who have since flatly rejected the President’s claims that any such negotiations are taking place. With the administration and the Iranian government at odds over the very existence of a peace process, the calls for a change in leadership at the top of the U.S. executive branch are likely to intensify.