House Speaker Mike Johnson: Biden Cabinet Should Consider 25th Amendment

House Speaker calls on Biden's Cabinet to invoke 25th Amendment after debate performance, sparking debate over President's fitness for office.

House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., expressed to reporters on Friday his belief that President Joe Biden's Cabinet should be contemplating the invocation of the 25th Amendment following Thursday's debate, where Biden failed to meet expectations. This marks the latest push for the amendment to be utilized in removing the president from office.

Johnson stated on Friday that if he were in the Cabinet, he would be discussing the matter with his colleagues at that level. He emphasized the seriousness of the situation and the need for action to be taken.

The 25th Amendment allows for the vice president and Cabinet to declare in writing that the President is unfit to fulfill the duties of his office. In such a scenario, the vice president would immediately assume the role of acting president, as outlined in Section 4 of the 25th Amendment.

However, the likelihood of this scenario playing out is low. In order for the president to be stripped of his powers following a declaration of incapacity, a two-thirds majority vote from both chambers of Congress would be required. If Congress does not support the removal, the president would resume his position.

This is not the first instance where Republicans or others have suggested invoking the 25th Amendment to remove Biden from office. Similar calls were made in February following a report highlighting Biden's alleged memory issues. Johnson did not call for the Amendment to be invoked at that time, but did express concerns about Biden's fitness for office. Similar calls were made during Trump's presidency, particularly after the events of Jan. 6.

The calls for the 25th Amendment on Friday were prompted by Biden's performance in the debate with Trump on Thursday. Trump was widely considered the winner of the debate, and Biden received criticism from both his own party and Republicans for his performance. Biden struggled to speak clearly, lost his train of thought, and had to correct himself multiple times during the debate. Some left-leaning pundits even suggested that Biden should consider dropping out of the race.

During a rally in Raleigh, North Carolina on Friday, Biden acknowledged his physical and verbal limitations, but reaffirmed his commitment to the job. He stated that he believes he is capable of fulfilling the duties of the presidency with all his heart and soul.