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The proposed commission, intended to apply to all future presidents, was particularly inspired by concerns over Donald Trump’s conduct, according to Raskin.
“Public confidence in Donald Trump’s capacity to fulfill his presidential duties has plummeted to unprecedented levels,” Raskin stated. “This comes as he makes reckless threats to annihilate entire civilizations, stirs turmoil in the Middle East while disregarding Congressional authority on war powers, openly criticizes the Pope, and posts images online suggesting a likeness to Jesus Christ.”
“We stand at a perilous threshold,” Raskin continued. “It is now a critical national security issue for Congress to uphold its obligations under the 25th Amendment, safeguarding the American public from an increasingly erratic and unstable scenario.”
The commission would be a bipartisan effort, comprising eight retired statespersons, including former presidents, vice presidents, and cabinet officials, appointed by both political parties.
The bipartisan commission would consist of eight retired statespersons including former presidents, vice presidents and cabinet members, selected by both parties.
And party leaders would also select four doctors and four psychiatrists to serve on the body.Â
The commission would then select a 17th member themselves.
With the consent of the vice president, the commission could decide whether to activate the 25th amendment.
Raskin’s legislation is likely not to pass into law because Democrats are in the minority in both chambers.
But fifty Democrats are cosponsoring the legislation nevertheless.
In recent weeks many prominent conservatives have begun publicly expressing concern about Trump’s mental state.”He’s clearly not well,” his former press secretary Stephanie Grisham said last week.
“This isn’t ‘just Trump being Trump’.”
And Trump’s former lawyer Ty Cobb said the president was “clearly insane”.
“It highlights the level of his insanity and his depravity,” Cobb said.
Last week Raskin wrote to the White House doctor demanding Trump take a dementia test.
Raskin requested a comprehensive cognitive test, with the results to be shared with Congress.
But the president’s behaviour has become a talking point in American media in his second term.Â
He spoke for eight minutes about poisonous snakes in Peru during a Christmas event.
He claimed to have ended a non-existent war between Cambodia and Armenia.
He also apparently concocted a long anecdote about his uncle’s interactions at college with the Unabomber, even though his uncle died before the terrorist was identified.
And after posting an AI-generated image of himself as Jesus Christ this week, he later claimed he thought it showed him as a doctor.
The 25th Amendment has never been invoked to permanently remove a president from power.
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