A prominent figure in conservative circles is drawing sharp reactions after urging Vice President JD Vance to consider a dramatic constitutional step amid the ongoing conflict with Iran — a move that underscores growing tensions on the right over America’s role in another overseas war.
Scott McConnell, co-founder of The American Conservative, took to social media Sunday with a striking proposal: that Vance support invoking the 25th Amendment to remove President Donald Trump from power.
“My advice to Vance: Announce your support of 25th amendment transition,” McConnell wrote, arguing that the vice president should take a leading role in explaining such a move to the American public. He also suggested that Vance name a replacement vice president, floating Sen. Chris Murphy of Connecticut as a potential choice.
McConnell described Murphy as “an antiwar Democrat, smart and not super woke,” a characterization that reflects the unusual political alignment emerging among some critics of the current conflict.
The 25th Amendment lays out the constitutional process for transferring presidential authority when a president is deemed unable to discharge the duties of the office. It allows the vice president, along with a majority of the Cabinet or another designated body, to formally declare the president unfit, at which point the vice president assumes the role of acting president.
McConnell’s proposal, while unlikely to gain traction in Washington, highlights a deeper unease among some conservatives who have long opposed what they view as unnecessary foreign entanglements. His call for Vance to also pledge not to run in 2028 suggests a focus on presenting the move as one rooted in principle rather than political ambition.
The response to McConnell’s comments was swift and deeply divided, reflecting the broader fractures in American politics — and within the conservative movement itself.
My advice to Vance: Announce your support of 25th amendment transition. 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.
— Scott McConnell (@ScottMcConnell9) March 22, 2026
Rep. Ro Khanna, a Democrat from California, voiced support for the sentiment behind the proposal, appealing directly to Vance’s past skepticism of Middle East conflicts.
“You used to be against Middle East wars of choice,” Khanna wrote. “You served with a generation that saw the damage. Our nation needs you & other Republicans to step up & stop this madness.”
Khanna went further, calling the current situation “the biggest foreign policy blunder of the 21st century,” a stark assessment that underscores the intensity of opposition from some corners.
Others saw McConnell’s suggestion as a sign of just how far the debate has shifted. Former Democratic congresswoman Debbie Mucarsel-Powell remarked that a conservative journalist calling for such a move — and proposing a Democratic vice president — “tells you everything about where we are in this moment.”
But many conservatives were quick to push back, rejecting the idea outright. Commentator Pascal-Emmanuel Gobry dismissed the proposal in blunt terms, calling it “batsh*t crazy,” while Bulwark Podcast host Tim Miller mocked McConnell as having gone “so far around the bend” over the Iran war.
The episode reflects a broader struggle within the conservative movement as it grapples with the costs and consequences of military engagement abroad. While some remain firmly aligned with the administration’s approach, others are increasingly wary of prolonged conflict and the toll it may take — not only overseas, but at home.
Even proposals that once would have been unthinkable are now entering the conversation, a sign of just how high the stakes have become. As the situation with Iran continues to unfold, the debate over America’s role — and the price of that role — appears far from settled.
