You Asked Some Questions ...

So here are a few answers.

Feb 13, 2026

Readers often ask me historical, legal, political and constitutional questions. I am honored by their faith in me and my knowledge, and I always try to find them the best possible answer, doing proper research when necessary.

In a very few cases I’ve had to say '‘sorry, I can’t answer that,” often because of privacy laws or because something is just plain unknowable. And on those occasions when I’m asked something like, “Do you know you suck?” I wisely try to refrain from answering.

But most of what I am asked is respectful and intelligent, and I am asked a lot of things that clearly a lot of people are wondering about. And I thought today I would share some of these with everyone.

So here are a couple interesting questions with my answers:

Q) Can they use the 25th Amendment to impeach Donald Trump?

A) No. Impeachment is essentially an indictment agreed on by the House of Representatives, which is then sent to the U.S. Senate for trial.

The 25th Amendment is all about making it clear who is in charge of the federal government so that any transfer of power is seamless and there’s no question who is in charge. This was ratified in 1967, only a few years after the Kennedy Assassination.

The amendment touches on a number of areas, from appointing a vice president when the old one quits or dies. But it also gives his cabinet and the Congress a way of removing a president who is no longer up to the job. It also allows a president to temporarily transfer power to their vice president, and both Ronald Reagan and the first George Bush did so when they were under anesthesia.

However, it also allows the vice-president and a majority of the cabinet to remove a president if they think he can no longer properly discharge his duties. People have focused on this as the best way to get rid of Trump.

BUT … that would still be close to impossible. First of all, expecting people who he has appointed to convict him is like allowing Al Capone to put his friends on any jury that would try him. AND even if that happened, if Donald Trump disagreed, Congress would then vote on it — and two-thirds of both houses would have to agree.

And even then, JD Vance would only become Acting President; the cabinet or Congress could restore Trump at any time. The 25th Amendment would be good for removing a president in an irreversible coma, say.

But not so useful otherwise.

Q:. What about impeachment?

Several readers have predicted Trump would be impeached again if Democrats win control of the House of Representatives in November, as now seems likely.

Sure, they could waste their time doing that. But as we should all know by now, to remove Trump from office would take a two-thirds vote of the Senate, 67 votes.

Democrats and their allies now have 47 seats. They might get over 50 after this fall’s election, but that won’t do it. Three presidents have been impeached in our history, but none convicted. And Donald Trump is unlikely to be the first.

Well, that’s about enough from me for today. I have other worthwhile questions, but will save them for another column soon. Thanks for reading … and thinking.