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 determine he is unfit to serve. The bill, led by Representative Jamie Raskin, the top Democrat on the House Judiciary Committee, follows a series of controversial statements by Trump, including threats to annihilate Iran and a social media post depicting himself as Jesus Christ.
Raskin argued that Trump's recent behaviour has eroded public trust and raised national security concerns. “We are at a dangerous precipice, and it is now a matter of national security for Congress to fulfill its responsibilities under the 25th Amendment to protect the American people from an increasingly volatile and unstable situation,” he said in a statement. The bill has 50 co-sponsors but faces long odds in the Republican-controlled House.
The proposed commission would consist of four retired executive branch officials chosen by congressional leaders, along with four physicians and four psychiatrists, none of whom could be current government employees. A 17th member would serve as chair. The commission would assess Trump's capacity to discharge his duties, working with Vance to potentially remove him.
Raskin noted that the 25th Amendment allows for such a body to be authorised by Congress. “This body should have been set up by Congress when the 25th Amendment was added to the Constitution in 1967,” he said. Similar calls were made against Joe Biden in 2024 after his poor debate performance, but those resolutions never reached a vote.
