Biden's got to go…
Rep. Chip Roy (R-Texas) is crafting a resolution urging Vice President Harris to convene the Cabinet and declare President Biden unable to carry out the duties of the Oval Office after the poor debate performance Thursday.
“I intend to put forth a resolution calling upon the @VP to immediately use her powers under section 4 of the 25th Amendment to convene & mobilize the principal officers of the Cabinet to declare the @POTUS is unable to successfully discharge the duties and powers of his office,” Roy wrote on X.
Roy told reporters Friday morning that, ”I think anybody with eyes and anybody observing objectively last night saw an individual that is not capable of carrying out the duties the commander-in-chief in a world in which we're, you know, facing increasing dangers.”
He added, “for those of us who follow this stuff internally, it has been very clear the declining status of the of the capacity of the president, but last night put it all out for all to see. Our colleagues on their side of the aisle can't hide from it. And frankly, I don't do this through a political lens, right. I mean, I don't view it through the lens of well, is the timing good and bad for what happens in November or anything else? It's just the simple fact of the matter is the president United States is not capable of doing the job.”
Section 4 of the 25th Amendment — which has never been used — says that if the vice president and a majority of the Cabinet or Congress deem the president as “unable to discharge the powers and duties of his office,” the vice president should “immediately assume the powers and duties of the office as Acting President.”
“Whenever the Vice President and a majority of either the principal officers of the executive departments or of such other body as Congress may by law provide, transmit to the President pro tempore of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives their written declaration that the President is unable to discharge the powers and duties of his office, the Vice President shall immediately assume the powers and duties of the office as Acting President,” the amendment reads.
Harris defended Biden's debate performance on CNN immediately after Thursday night's event, conceding he had a “slow start” but arguing he had a “strong finish” and had laid out a strong contrast between himself and Trump.
WATCH:
Rep. Roy's move is among the harshest responses to Thursday's debate which has prompted widespread concern among Democrats.
Several leading columnists for the New York Times are urging President Biden to drop out of the race, citing his poor performance during Thursday night's debate.
“President Biden is a good man who capped a long career in public service with a successful presidential term. But I hope he reviews his debate performance Thursday evening and withdraws from the race, throwing the choice of a Democratic nominee to the convention in August,” Times columnist Nicholas Kristof wrote.
Thomas Friedman, another Times columnist, made a similar argument.
“I cannot remember a more heartbreaking moment in American presidential campaign politics in my lifetime,” he wrote, saying Biden “a good man and a good president, has no business running for re-election.”
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