Over 200 State Legislators Across the Nation Sign Statement Demanding Invocation of the 25th Amendment & Congressional War Powers Enforcement Amid Escalating War with Iran

Lawmakers Unite to Defend Constitutional Order, Citing Concerns Over Presidential Fitness and Unauthorized War Powers

LANSING, Mich., April 7, 2026 – Michigan state Rep. Carrie Rheingans (D-Ann Arbor) joins 218 state legislators from 27 states today in signing a national statement calling for immediate constitutional action in response to the ongoing war with Iran and actions taken by President Donald Trump.

The statement outlines two primary demands: that members of the Presidential Cabinet and Vice President JD Vance invoke the 25th Amendment to remove President Trump from office, and that Congress assert its constitutional authority and enforce its war powers under Article I, Section 8.

“We, currently elected state legislators, write to you today with two demands. First, that Members of the Cabinet and Vice President Vance invoke the 25th Amendment and remove President Trump from office. Second, that Congress enforces its constitutional war powers.”

“We are at a critical moment where constitutional boundaries, democratic norms, and the balance of powers are being tested in unprecedented ways,” lead author Rheingans said. “Every day that President Trump continues in office is another day that the safety of Americans — and people around the world — remains in jeopardy.”

The statement points specifically to recent public remarks by President Trump threatening large-scale destruction of civilian infrastructure in Iran, which signatories argue may constitute violations of international law, as well as conflicting and escalating public statements about the scope and objectives of U.S. military operations. When asked directly whether the conflict was winding down or escalating, the President responded, “I can’t tell you. I don’t know.”

Legislators argue that this conduct, combined with a broader pattern of executive overreach, raises serious questions about the President’s fitness for office and his adherence to constitutional limits on executive power.

The statement outlines a series of specific concerns, including:

  • Military operations conducted without congressional authorization in Iran and Venezuela
  • Alleged violations of First, Fourth, Fifth, and Eighth Amendment protections
  • Due process concerns related to detention practices and the treatment of individuals in federal custody
  • Executive actions exceeding constitutional authority, including funding decisions and the weaponization of federal agencies
  • Actions and statements undermining electoral integrity, voting rights, and the constitutional prohibition on a third presidential term

Signatories further emphasize that under the Constitution, only Congress holds the authority to declare war — and that sustained military engagement without such authorization represents a serious legal and constitutional breach.

“President Trump has repeatedly called for the United States to carry out illegal war crimes, including on Easter Sunday saying he will bomb civilian targets, and again this morning when he called for a “whole civilization” to die, which is the literal definition of genocide. Coupled with directing federal agents to violate constitutional protections, extrajudicially executing people in the Caribbean, and weaponizing federal funding and agencies against perceived political enemies, it is clear that he is unfit to carry out his duties and that the Vice President and Cabinet must immediately invoke sec 4 of the 25th A to remove him from office and protect innocent civilians at home and abroad,” Rheingans said. “With Congressional Republican leadership keeping their heads in the sand and their members away from DC, I felt compelled to speak up on behalf of the people in my state, as other legislators do in their states. Together in one voice, as leaders and as a nation, we must stop normalizing and accepting the unthinkable and  demand an end to this madness through the removal of President Trump from office.” 

The legislators concluded that immediate action is necessary to address what they describe as an ongoing constitutional crisis, and called on both the Cabinet and Congress to fulfill their sworn duties to uphold the Constitution.

The full joint statement and list of signatories is available here.

State legislators signed on from a total of 27 states, including: Michigan, Colorado, Rhode Island, California, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Illinois, Iowa, Maine, Maryland, Minnesota, Montana, North Carolina, North Dakota, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, Nevada, Ohio, Oregon, Wisconsin, Vermont, Utah, and Pennsylvania.

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