GOP Leaders Call For Biden’s Removal After Debate Stumbles
House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) urged President Joe Biden’s cabinet on Friday to invoke the 25th Amendment, calling for Biden’s removal from office following his poor performance in the presidential debate against former President Donald Trump.
Johnson’s comments align with a push by Rep. Chip Roy (R-TX), who plans to introduce a House resolution requesting Vice President Kamala Harris to lead the effort to declare Biden unfit for office. Speaking to reporters, Johnson emphasized the urgency of the situation, saying, “There’s a lot of people asking about the 25th Amendment right now because this is an alarming situation. Our adversaries see the weakness in this White House as we all do. I take no pleasure in saying that. I think this is a very dangerous situation.”
The 25th Amendment’s Section 4 allows for the vice president and a majority of the cabinet to declare the president unable to discharge the powers and duties of the office. If enacted, the vice president would immediately become the acting president. Biden could contest this declaration in writing to Congress, necessitating a two-thirds majority in both the House and Senate to remove him permanently.
Johnson urged cabinet members to consider the gravity of Biden’s debate performance, which has caused widespread concern among Democrats. “I would be panicking too if I were a Democrat today and that was my nominee,” Johnson said. “But it’s not just political. It’s not just the Democratic Party. It’s the entire country. We have a serious problem here because we have a president who, by all appearances, is not up to the task.”
During the debate, Biden made several errors, including a claim that no American troops had died during his administration. This statement was later corrected by Deputy Defense Department Press Secretary Sabrina Singh, who acknowledged that American service members have indeed died under Biden’s watch. Notable incidents include the deaths of 13 service members in a suicide bombing during the Afghanistan withdrawal and other casualties in various military operations.
Biden’s debate performance, marked by frequent stumbles and incoherent statements, has intensified calls for his removal. At a rally in Raleigh, North Carolina, Biden admitted, “I know how to do this job. I know how to get things done,” while acknowledging he doesn’t debate as well as he once did.
Former President Barack Obama defended Biden, drawing a parallel to his own poor debate performance against Mitt Romney in 2012. “Bad debate nights happen. Trust me, I know,” Obama posted on X.
Biden campaign officials have stated that the president has no plans to step down and intends to continue his campaign, including a scheduled debate with Trump on September 10. Despite this, Johnson and other Republican leaders continue to express serious concerns about Biden’s capacity to lead, emphasizing the importance of decisive action for the nation’s security and stability.
