Acting Labor Secretary Julie Su, in an interview with Fox News after Friday’s latest jobs report, laughed off a question about whether members of President Biden’s Cabinet had invoked the 25th Amendment to the Constitution.
“Have there been any discussions among your Cabinet colleagues about invoking the 25th Amendment?” Fox Business’ Edward Lawrence asked Su in an interview that aired on “America’s Newsroom.”
Sue laughed at the question and said, “That’s ridiculous.”
“What we’re talking about is recognizing that we’re in a moment where incredible progress has been made in the time we’ve been here,” she added, “and we want to build on that… We can’t afford to go back, we can’t afford to reverse course.”
The U.S. economy added 206,000 jobs in June and the unemployment rate rose slightly to 4.1%, according to data released by the Labor Department on Friday. The figures were roughly in line with expectations but added to signs that the economy is slowing under high interest rates.
Su’s comments come after Biden’s poor performance in last week’s presidential debate sparked debate about whether he is fit to be president and whether he can beat former President Trump in November.
Democrats have panicked over Biden’s performance, while some Republicans have suggested his cabinet should move to invoke the 25th Amendment to the Constitution to remove him from office.
That’s unlikely to happen, but the debate among Republicans reflects doubts about whether they want to see a showdown between President Trump and Vice President Harris.
Section 4 of the 25th Amendment, which has never been used, states that if the vice president and the Cabinet or a majority of Congress determine that the president is “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.”
In a June 29 letter, Sen. Thom Tillis (R-N.C.) called on the Biden Cabinet to invoke the 25th Amendment to the Constitution.
“I believe Biden is an honorable man who cares about the country,” he wrote, “but time catches up with everyone. It’s clear that his decline is more severe than people realized, and that the White House has not been as honest or transparent as it should have been.”
Rep. Chip Roy (R-Texas) introduced a resolution on the same day calling on Harris to convene her cabinet and declare Biden unable to serve, a move House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-Louisiana) said he supported.
The White House and Biden’s allies have pushed back against those who have questioned the president’s fitness to do his job, but three House Democrats have called on Biden to drop out of the race.
“President Biden has done so much for our country, but it’s time to follow in the footsteps of one of our founding fathers, George Washington, and step aside so new leadership can rise up and run for office as an anti-establishment candidate.” [Trump]” Rep. Seth Moulton (D-Mass.) said Thursday.
“No one is trying to get rid of me,” Biden said in a fundraising email sent Wednesday.
“I am the Democratic candidate,” the fundraising email read. “No one is trying to get rid of me. I have no plans to go away. I am going to fight this race to the end. And we are going to win this election. If that’s all you want to hear, please support me by donating a few dollars.” [Vice President Harris] And I’m going to defeat Donald Trump in November.”
