In a recent move by the Republican party, outgoing House Representative Ken Buck has urged Vice President Kamala Harris to invoke the 25th Amendment of the US Constitution, aiming to remove President Joe Biden from office. Buck’s resolution calls for Harris to convene a cabinet meeting and declare Biden, aged 81, “incapable of executing the duties of his office.”
The 25th Amendment, originally adopted after the assassination of John F. Kennedy, provides contingencies in cases of presidential death, removal, resignation, or incapacitation. Section four of the amendment allows the Vice President and a majority of the cabinet to oust the president if deemed incapable of carrying out duties.
Buck’s resolution references Biden’s age and health, citing instances where he appeared “aimless” at events, spoke incoherently, and struggled with balance, including incidents of falling while walking upstairs. The resolution also mentions a report by special counsel Robert Hur, which characterized Biden as a “well-meaning, elderly man with a poor memory,” a characterization vehemently refuted by the Biden administration.
Despite Buck’s initiative, he’s not the first in the Republican party to suggest using the 25th Amendment against Biden. Other figures, including Republican lawmaker Claudia Tenney and former President Donald Trump, have floated similar ideas.
As the US approaches the next presidential election, concerns about Biden’s age have been raised, with polls indicating worries among voters. At 81, Biden is the oldest president in US history and would be 86 at the end of a potential second term. However, Trump, around three and a half years younger than Biden, was also the oldest president by the end of his term.
Critics point out similarities between Biden’s alleged issues and those observed in Trump, including gaffes, aimless wandering, incoherent speech, and balance struggles. Biden himself referenced Trump’s memory lapse, jokingly remarking about Trump’s difficulty in recalling his wife’s name during a recent appearance on NBC’s Late Night with Seth Meyers.
In the midst of these debates, with the specter of another Biden-Trump showdown looming in the upcoming election, discussions over presidential age and health continue to shape political discourse in the United States.
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