California Governor Gavin Newsom recently suggested invoking the 25th Amendment to remove President Donald Trump from office, citing concerns over Trump's cognitive state following a speech on election integrity. Newsom characterized Trump's address as a "legitimate 25th Amendment moment," describing it as the "rambling of a mad king."
Newsom's remarks drew sharp criticism from conservatives who accused him of hypocrisy. The official Republican National Committee X account retorted that Democrats "propped up a vegetable and lied to the American people about his cognitive decline for four years and never mentioned the 25th amendment once," referring to doubts about President Joe Biden's mental acuity.
Fox News contributor Joe Concha echoed this sentiment, noting Newsom's consistent defense of President Biden. Judicial Watch President Tom Fitton suggested Newsom's call was an attempt to discredit Trump's claims about election integrity and foreign interference.
President Trump had delivered a speech on Thursday evening detailing alleged weaknesses in election integrity, asserting that newly declassified documents would expose foreign data theft by China and that U.S. government officials had been aware of election vulnerabilities for years. He also alleged that Americans had been misled about these issues and presented new evidence of election fraud. Fox News Digital could not independently verify the content of these documents.
Newsom, like many Democrats, questioned the timing and motives behind Trump's speech, which occurred approximately four months before the November midterms. "He wants to rig the election in 2026. He knows he is going to lose. That’s what that whole thing was about," Newsom stated.
Other Democrats, including Rep. Yassamin Ansari (D-Ariz.), supported Newsom's call. Ansari, who previously joined other Democrats in advocating for a bill to examine the removal of presidents based on cognitive state, stated, "He lies with every breath he takes. How can anyone deny the urgency of the 25th Amendment at this point?" In April, Ansari had said Trump was "clearly experiencing severe cognitive decline and leaders from every political affiliation have recognized this. He’s become a national security threat to the United States."
Newsom's office has not responded to inquiries regarding his support for Ansari's bill.
Conservatives also raised concerns about the potential ramifications of invoking the 25th Amendment. California Assemblyman Joe Patterson questioned the move, stating, "Does anyone else think it’s weird that as he talks about Trump rigging an election, he simultaneously asks for the president’s cabinet to remove a duly elected president?" He added, "Yeah, Gavin … that would pose no risk to our democracy at all. Get real!"
The 25th Amendment, ratified in 1967, provides a mechanism for the Vice President and a majority of the Cabinet, or another body established by Congress, to declare the President unfit to discharge the powers and duties of their office.