House Democrats on Tuesday introduced a measure to create a commission that would work with Vice-President JD Vance to remove Donald Trump from office under the 25th Amendment, should they deem him unfit. The bill, led by Jamie Raskin, the top Democrat on the House judiciary committee, follows recent statements by Trump, including a warning that Iran's 'whole civilization will die' and a social media post depicting himself as Jesus Christ.
Raskin argued that public trust in Trump's ability to fulfil his duties has plummeted, citing threats to destroy civilizations, chaos in the Middle East, insults to the Pope, and self-comparisons to Jesus. 'We are at a dangerous precipice, and it is now a matter of national security for Congress to fulfil its responsibilities under the 25th Amendment,' he said in a statement.
The 25th Amendment allows the vice-president and a cabinet majority to remove a president deemed 'unable to discharge the powers and duties' of office. Raskin's bill would establish a 17-member commission on presidential capacity, including four retired executive branch officials, four physicians, and four psychiatrists, chosen by congressional leaders. None could be current government employees or elected officials.
The measure has 50 co-sponsors but faces long odds in the Republican-controlled House, where no members have expressed serious concerns about Trump's fitness. Similar calls were made against Joe Biden in 2024 after a poor debate performance, but those resolutions never received a vote.
