Letter: Pence, cabinet should be ready to take over for Trump

The 25th Amendment has been cited as a means of removing a president from office. However, this reflects a misreading of that amendment, which provides only for the case where the president is “unable to discharge the powers and duties of his office.”

In this case, the vice president becomes acting president. The president remains in office and resumes his duties when he affirms that “no inability exists” unless the vice president and a majority of the cabinet disagree. Congress must then resolve the disagreement over presidential disability.

While only impeachment and conviction in the Senate can remove a president, the 25th Amendment may well come into play if articles of impeachment are filed in the House. If that happens, it will be necessary to invoke the 25th Amendment immediately to prevent this rogue president from committing further depredations, such as a pardoning binge or fomenting the unimaginable disaster his impeachment might occur too late to prevent.

Given the erratic behavior of the current president, let us hope Mike Pence and key members of the cabinet are prepared to act swiftly and decisively. The paperwork can be prepared in advance.

This story was originally published November 3, 2017 at 5:34 PM with the headline "Letter: Pence, cabinet should be ready to take over for Trump."