More than 85 Democratic House and Senate members called for Trump’s removal via the 25th Amendment or impeachment last week after he posted that “a whole civilization will die tonight.” Today, Jamie Raskin put that on paper. He introduced an actual bill. 50 co-sponsors. A formal Commission on Presidential Capacity to Discharge the Powers and Duties of Office — the body that Section 4 of the 25th Amendment has authorized Congress to create since 1967 and that Congress has never, until now, bothered to set up.
What the Bill Actually Does
Section 4 of the 25th Amendment gives Congress two options for removing a president: the Vice President acting with either the Cabinet, or “such other body as Congress may by law provide.” That second option has sat unused for 59 years. Raskin’s bill creates it. A 17-member commission — four former high-ranking executive branch officials appointed by Democrats, four by Republicans, four physicians, four psychiatrists, and a 17th chair selected by the 16 members — with the power to examine the president and report findings to Congress.
If the commission and VP agree the president is incapacitated, the VP immediately becomes acting president. Congress then has 21 days to vote. Two-thirds of both chambers required to make it permanent. The president can contest it — filing a declaration that “no inability exists” — at which point the VP and commission have four days to re-object. If they do, back to Congress. Two-thirds again.
The key design feature: this bypasses Vance and the Cabinet acting alone. The bill creates an independent body that can work with Vance rather than requiring his leadership of a process he would never initiate. In an emergency, Congress could pass a concurrent resolution requiring the commission to examine the president within 72 hours.
Why Now
Raskin already sent a letter to White House physician Captain Sean Barbabella demanding a comprehensive neuropsychological assessment of Trump and public disclosure of the results. The White House didn’t respond. Raskin cited specific incidents: the Easter Sunday Truth Social post threatening civilian infrastructure (“Open the F***in’ Strait, you crazy bastards, or you’ll be living in Hell — JUST WATCH. Praise be to Allah”), the “a whole civilization will die tonight” post, the Jesus meme, the 2 AM and 4 AM screeds. Former White House counsel Ty Cobb — who served in Trump’s first term — called him “clearly insane” on national television and asked why the Cabinet hadn’t already acted.
“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.” — Rep. Jamie Raskin
Trump himself told reporters last month he knew some people were thinking about invoking the 25th. “I can’t say what we’re going to do,” he said, “because if I—” and then stopped. He’s aware of the chatter. It doesn’t seem to be slowing down the 2 AM Truth Social posts.
The Reality Check
Yes, it’s a long shot. Republicans control Congress. Trump could veto the bill. Vance — who called the ceasefire a “fragile truce” one day and “I feel very good about where we are” the next — is not leading a coup. The 85+ Democrats calling for removal don’t have the votes. This is not a secret.
But that’s not entirely the point. The bill does something real: it formally establishes that the mechanism exists, that Congress has the authority to build it, and that 50 House Democrats think the situation is serious enough to do so during an active war started without congressional authorization. It also forces every Republican member of Congress to either vote against it or say nothing — both of which are on the record. That record matters in November.
The White House Response
Spokesperson Davis Ingle: “Lightweight Jamie Raskin is a stupid person’s idea of a smart person. President Trump’s sharpness, unmatched energy, and historic accessibility stand in stark contrast to what we saw during the past four years when Democrats like Raskin intentionally covered up Joe Biden’s serious mental and physical decline from the American people.”
The man who posts about annihilating civilizations at 2 AM and compared himself to Jesus on Easter Sunday says his “sharpness” is unmatched. His spokesperson called the leading Republican accountability voice a “stupid person’s idea of a smart person.” The commission has not yet been established. The 2 AM posts continue.
Sources
- House Judiciary Democrats: Full text and overview of Raskin’s bill, commission structure, Section 4 background, 72-hour examination provision.
- Axios: 50 Democratic co-sponsors, 17-member commission details, Vance as long-shot obstacle, White House response.
- NBC News: 85+ House and Senate Democrats calling for removal; Markey, Murphy, Khanna, Ansari statements; Larson articles of impeachment.
- Newsweek: Ty Cobb calling Trump “clearly insane” on The Jim Acosta Show; Cabinet not acting.
- PBS NewsHour/PolitiFact: Full mechanics of Section 4, timeline, two-thirds requirement, Trump self-awareness of 25th Amendment talk.