President Donald Trump’s threats to destroy “a whole civilization” if Iran does not meet tonight’s deadline to reach the end of the war is being met with alarm, triggering a market frenzy, spiking oil prices, and calls across social media for Congress to “do something,” or to invoke the 25th amendment to remove Trump from office.
“A whole civilization will die tonight, never to be brought back again. I don’t want that to happen, but it probably will,” Trump posted on Truth Social. “We will find out tonight, one of the most important moments in the long and complex history of the World. 47 years of extortion, corruption, and death, will finally end. God Bless the Great People of Iran!”
Iran has reportedly withdrawn from negotiations, according to the The New York Times.
The ultimatum to accept a ceasefire agreement by 8 p.m. ET Tuesday evening and reopen the Strait of Hormuz, a critical oil passageway, is alarming on a number of levels.
This newest threat is basically a call to eradicate an ancient civilization and people that date back to the second millennium BCE, and comes after the president’s escalating threats to destroy the country’s key infrastructure, including water treatment facilities, bridges, and power plants that Iranians are depending on for survival—which legal experts say could constitute a war crime under both U.S. and international law.
Social media is calling on Congress to “do something”
“Good morning. If you’re just waking up, Trump is openly threatening nuclear war against Iran tonight, and none of the other people in power in the U.S. government appear to be willing to do anything to stop him,” one user posted on X.
On Tuesday, House Minority Leader Rep. Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) said in an interview that House Democrats will force another vote on the war.
“We only need one or two additional Republicans, and I think we’re on track to securing that,” Jeffries said. “Congress must immediately vote to end Donald Trump’s reckless war of choice and stop him from getting us into World War III.”
But for many social media users, Congress isn’t doing enough. Trending phrases on X on Tuesday included “where is congress,” “do something,” “STOP HIM,” “genocide,” and “nuclear.”
At the same time, some members of Congress have been calling to invoke the 25th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, which addresses what happens if the president (or vice president) dies, resigns, or becomes incapacitated or disabled. Those representatives include, but are not limited to, Rep. Yassamin Ansari (D-AZ), Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN), Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-MI), Rep. Shri Thanedar (D-MI), and Rep. Summer Lee (D-PA).
“25th amendment. Impeachment. I will support any avenue to remove Donald Trump from office,” Sen. Ed Markey (D-MA) posted on X. “We cannot leave this man in charge of America’s nuclear weapons as he threatens to end an entire civilization. And Congress must not fund this reckless administration.”
Can Congress actually invoke the 25th Amendment to remove Trump?
Here’s the catch: Section 4 of the 25th Amendment authorizes the vice president and a majority of the Cabinet to declare a president “unable to discharge the powers and duties of his office” (in effect, removing President Trump and replacing him with Vice President JD Vance), per PBS.
If approved by the Cabinet—and that is a big if—Trump can then declare he is fit to govern and “that no inability exists,” unless Vance and a majority of the Cabinet declare Trump unable to discharge his duties within four days. If they agree, Vance takes over as president.
It’s not until after that, that Congress can agree, by a two-thirds vote in both the House and Senate, that the president is unable to serve.
As Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) posted on Threads: “Unfortunately, invoking the 25th is not realistic right now, given [Trump’s] oddball cabinet of sycophants and eccentrics, and Republican ‘spine.’”
Oil prices rise as stocks slump
In the run up to tonight’s deadline, oil prices are up, while U.S. stocks continue to fall, creating a market frenzy as the clock ticks toward 8 p.m. ET.
Oil prices are hovering at about $114 a barrel as of this writing early Tuesday afternoon, and gas prices have hit an average of $4.14 a gallon nationwide.
Meanwhile, The S&P 500 (^GSPC) was down 0.4%; the Dow Jones Industrial Average (^DJI) fell 0.5%; and the Nasdaq Composite (^IXIC) was down 0.7%.