West Virginia Attorney General Patrick Morrisey (R) asked Vice President Kamala Harris to invoke the 25th Amendment against President Joe Biden, arguing that the president does not have the physical capacity necessary to perform the duties inherent to his office.
Morrisey expressed his concerns through a letter to the vice president, highlighting growing concern among Americans regarding the president’s “cognitive decline,” a concern that has increased due to the frequency with which Biden is making mistakes in his public interventions.
“Over the last few months alone, President Biden has mixed up world leaders and political figures, strained to address basic issues in public speeches, and wandered out of events in a disoriented state. These serious mental missteps have equally serious consequences,” Morrisey said.
WATCH: WV Attorney General @MorriseyWV sent a letter to Kamala Harris calling for the 25th Amendment to be used against Joe Biden.
"If you're cognitively impaired and you can't be charged with a crime, how on earth are you able to also serve as President of the United States?" pic.twitter.com/cY36o5J9qo
— Andrew Surabian (@Surabees) February 13, 2024
However, the prosecutor stressed that the recent report by Special Prosecutor Robert Hur has more clearly emphasized the serious memory problems affecting the president, which is why it considers it necessary to step forward and declare that the president no longer has the capacity required to fulfill the powers and duties of his office.
“Considering recent revelations (...) Americans should not be forced to swallow their concerns and stand by any longer. I am writing to urge you to invoke your powers under Section 4 of the Twenty-Fifth Amendment and declare that President Biden is unable to discharge of his office,” he stated in his letter.
Concerns about Biden’s capabilities
A new ABC News/Ipsos poll found that an overwhelming majority (86%) of Americans think President Joe Biden, 81, is too old to serve another presidential term.
The Amendment
The 25th Amendment, passed by Congress in 1965, aims to clarify presidential succession, including a provision allowing the vice president and the Cabinet to remove a president deemed physically incapable. Although this power has never been exercised, several Republicans have mentioned the possibility of invoking it in recent weeks.
Harris says she is ready to take office
Although the vice president has not yet publicly commented on Morrisey’s letter, Harris recently suggested in an interview that she was ready to replace Biden if necessary.
“I am ready to serve. There’s no question about that,” she responded when asked how she planned to convince voters she was ready for office.
