Several top Democrats who previously called for the 25th Amendment to be invoked to remove former President Donald Trump from office have refrained from commenting on whether it should be used to remove President Biden, a suggestion made by some Republicans.
Notable Democratic figures such as Nancy Pelosi, Pramila Jayapal, Jamie Raskin, Maxine Waters, and Chuck Schumer have chosen not to weigh in on the possibility of invoking the 25th Amendment against President Biden, despite advocating for its use against former President Trump during his tenure.
The 25th Amendment, specifically Section 4, empowers the vice president and a majority of the executive cabinet to determine the president's fitness to continue serving in office.
Throughout Trump's presidency, Democrats had called for the 25th Amendment to be activated for various reasons, including concerns related to the coronavirus, Trump's competency, and the events of the January 6, 2021 Capitol Hill riot.
In October 2020, Maxine Waters expressed the urgency of invoking the 25th Amendment based on Trump's behavior and handling of the pandemic. Similarly, Pelosi and Raskin introduced legislation before the 2020 election to establish a commission involving Congress in the process of removing a president if deemed 'incapacitated.'
The legislation aimed to create a bipartisan commission of former executive officials and medical experts to assess a president's fitness for office based on scientific and factual evidence.
Following the Capitol riot, Pelosi, Raskin, Jayapal, and other House Democrats supported a resolution urging Vice President Pence to declare Trump unfit for office and assume presidential powers.
However, in the wake of concerns over Biden's debate performance and mental acuity, some Republicans have floated the idea of triggering the 25th Amendment to remove him from office. GOP Rep. Clay Higgins cited Biden's alleged decline and called for invoking the amendment as a compassionate response to the situation.
Despite these calls, both the White House and Biden's campaign have affirmed that he is not dropping out of the race and is capable of fulfilling his duties as president.
