Republicans are split over whether President Joe Biden should stay in office until the election as doubts mount about his mental and physical health.
Since Biden announced Sunday that he will not seek re-election, dozens of Republican lawmakers have spoken out, saying he should be immediately removed from office as unfit to serve.
They are calling on Biden’s cabinet to pursue his removal through the 25th Amendment, which has never been used before in history.
Former President Donald Trump, however, made it clear on Thursday that he opposes the measure, saying, “I don’t think they should invoke the 25th Amendment.”
“I will say this, the world is in a very dangerous place. I think if [Biden] go, [Kamala] then she takes over and she’s even worse than he is,” Trump said on Fox & Friends, calling her a “radical San Francisco.”
Despite Trump’s warnings, some Republicans continue to insist the never-before-used amendment should be invoked immediately to unseat Biden.
President Joe Biden addresses the nation from the Oval Office of the White House on Wednesday about his decision to drop his Democratic reelection bid, his first speech since withdrawing from the race on Sunday
The 25th Amendment, which governs presidential succession, gives the vice president and the Cabinet the authority to remove the commander in chief from office if it is determined that he or she is no longer fit to serve.
Under Article 4, a two-thirds majority in both the House of Representatives and the Senate is required to determine that the President is “unable to discharge the powers and duties thereof.”
Rep. Chip Roy, R-Texas, introduced a resolution shortly after the debate calling on Harris to “convene the Cabinet and declare that President Joe Biden is unable to discharge his duties as Commander in Chief.”
House Speaker Mike Johnson told reporters Monday that he is still considering whether to bring the resolution to the House floor.
Rep. Andy Ogles, R-Tennessee, has called on Harris to invoke the 25th Amendment and on Tuesday filed articles of impeachment for the vice president’s failure to enforce border laws.
Additionally, Sen. Eric Schmitt (R-Missouri) wrote a letter to all of Biden’s Cabinet members urging them to invoke the 25th Amendment.
“I wrote a letter and sent it to Kamala Harris asking her to invoke the 25th Amendment,” Rep. Derrick Van Orden (R-Wisconsin) told DailyMail.com.
“I have a little book on my desk. It’s called the Constitution. And she’s the Vice President of the United States, and the President of the United States is mentally and physically compromised.”
Rep. Derrick Van Orden, R-Wis., believes the 25th Amendment should be invoked over “national security” concerns. He believes Biden’s continued tenure puts the U.S. at risk
Donald Trump said Thursday that he opposes invoking the 25th Amendment against Joe Biden because he believes it would embolden Vice President Kamala Harris, whom he considers an even worse opponent.
“So it is her duty to invoke the 25th Amendment, call the cabinet together, write a letter, submit to Joe Biden, and in that one millisecond she becomes the acting president of the United States.”
He said Biden is “acting like” he is president and that he “would rather have an acting president than pretend.”
Van Orden says he still supports Trump, but adds: “I look at this from a national security perspective.”
Other Republicans, however, said they fully agree with the president’s opposition to the 25th Amendment.
I think the [former] “The president’s position is my position,” Rep. Byron Donalds (R-Fla.) told DailyMail.com.
Rep. Byron Donalds, R-Fla., said he shares Trump’s view that the amendment should not be used to unseat Biden.
Rep. Tim Burchett, R-Tenn., was more pragmatic, saying that while Biden is unfit for office, the Senate would never vote to invoke the 25th Amendment
“That’s a Kamala Harris question. It’s not for us. You know, we can all see that Joe Biden has some limitations. But given that the White House and frankly many elements in our media, not all of you but certainly elements in our media, have hidden Joe Biden from the public, that falls on their shoulders. That’s their responsibility.”
Tennessee Republican Tim Burchett agreed with Donald and Trump.
‘It will not work Senate. So I don’t know if that’s necessary.’
“I don’t think the president has the capacity to govern. And he’s been out of power for a while now and it’s been completely covered up by the media.”
“Everyone in Washington is talking about it, Democrats and Republicans.”