Rep. Jamie Raskin is leading a push to have Donald Trump removed from office. The House Judiciary Committee’s top Democrat introduced legislation Tuesday that would create an independent commission with the power to assess whether the president is mentally or physically fit to serve, activating a constitutional process that has never been used in American history.
The 10-page bill, backed by 50 Democratic co-sponsors, was reported by Axios. It would formally establish the “Commission on Presidential Capacity to Discharge the Powers and Duties of Office,” a 17-member panel called for under Section 4 of the 25th Amendment but never actually created by Congress in the more than 50 years since the amendment was ratified.
Raskin cited a series of recent flashpoints in justifying the bill, including Trump’s warnings about blowing up the whole country of Iran and his social media post depicting himself as Jesus Christ. “Public trust in Donald Trump’s ability to meet the duties of his office has dropped to unprecedented lows as he threatens to destroy entire civilizations, unleashes chaos in the Middle East while violating Congressional war powers, aggressively insults the Pope of the Catholic Church and sends out artistic renderings online likening himself to Jesus Christ,” Raskin said in a statement, as reported by The Hill.
How the commission would work
Under the legislation, congressional leaders from both parties would appoint four former high-ranking executive branch officials each, drawn from past presidents, vice presidents, secretaries of state, defense, and treasury, attorneys general, and surgeons general. Democratic and Republican leaders in both chambers would also each pick four physicians and four psychiatrists. The 16 appointed members would then collectively choose a 17th person to chair the panel.
If Congress passed a concurrent resolution directing it to act, the commission would be required to complete a medical examination of the president within 72 hours and report its findings back to lawmakers. If the commission and Vice President JD Vance both concluded Trump was unable to serve, Vance would immediately step in as acting president.
It was noted that the legislation is structured to give Congress an alternative path to the Cabinet route, since Section 4 of the 25th Amendment explicitly allows “such other body as Congress may by law provide” to make that determination alongside the vice president.
Why it’s considered a long shot
Republicans control both chambers of Congress, making the bill’s passage highly unlikely. Even if it somehow cleared the House and Senate, Trump could veto it directly. Overriding that veto would require two-thirds majorities in both chambers. And even in the event all of that happened, Vance’s sign-off would still be required to actually remove Trump.
Republican lawmakers were quick to reject the push. Rep. Marlin Stutzman of Indiana wrote on X that the “TRUE madness is calling for the 25th to be used against one of the greatest presidents our nation has ever seen.”
The White House was equally dismissive. Spokesman Davis Ingle fired back at Raskin directly, saying the congressman was “a stupid person’s idea of a smart person,” and argued that Trump’s record stood in clear contrast to what Democrats allegedly did to conceal President Joe Biden’s own cognitive decline from voters.
What prompted the bill
The legislation follows a week of escalating pressure from within the Democratic Party. More than 70 House and Senate Democrats had already called for Trump’s removal or impeachment after he posted a series of threatening messages about Iran, including one warning that “a whole civilization will die tonight.”
Raskin had also written to White House physician Captain Sean Barbabella the previous week, formally requesting a full neuropsychological assessment of Trump and demanding the results be made public. In that letter, Raskin cited what he described as “incoherent, volatile, profane, deranged, and threatening” statements by the president as evidence of potential cognitive decline.
Trump pushed back on the Iran controversy specifically, saying his rhetoric had successfully brought Iran to the negotiating table. A two-week ceasefire followed, which he credited to the pressure he applied. The White House and its allies maintain that Trump’s fitness and energy are beyond question. Democrats, for their part, acknowledge the bill is a long shot but say they see political value in forcing a public debate about the president’s behavior.
Meanwhile, Trump’s foreign policy posture continues to generate controversy on multiple fronts. His administration has also been pressing other diplomatic pressure points, including threatening to tear up a trade deal with the UK.
