Raskin demands Trump cognitive test in 25th Amendment push
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President Trump speaks to reporters at a White House press briefing on April 7. Photo: Li Yuanqing/Xinhua via Getty Images
House Judiciary Committee ranking member Jamie Raskin (D-Md.) is demanding the White House physician perform a cognitive test on President Trump in light of his recent comments on Iran.
Why it matters: The move comes as part of a broader Democratic push to build the case for invoking the 25th Amendment, which allows for the removal of a president who is "unable to discharge the powers and duties of his office."
- "Lightweight Jamie Raskin is a stupid person's idea of a smart person," White House spokesperson Davis Ingle told Axios in a statement.
- "President Trump's sharpness, unmatched energy, and historic accessibility stand in stark contrast to what we saw during the past four years when Democrats like Raskin intentionally covered up Joe Biden's serious mental and physical decline from the American people."
Driving the news: In a letter to White House physician Sean Barbabella, Raskin insisted that he "conduct a comprehensive neuropsychological assessment of the President, including a formal cognitive screening instrument, and publicly release the results."
- The Maryland Democrat said Trump's recent demand to "Open the Fuckin' Strait" and threat to kill Iran's "whole civilization" are "plainly out of the realm of normal politics."
- "We have indisputably entered the realm of profound medical difficulty and concern," he wrote.
Zoom in: In addition to the cognitive exam, Raskin asked for a detailed report on Trump's physical and mental health, including a list of "any medications he is currently taking and their potential cognitive side effects."
- He also asked that Barbabella make himself "available for a briefing, under oath, with Members of the Committee on the results of this assessment."
State of play: The letter was sent just before a briefing Raskin is set to give to fellow House Democrats on the 25th Amendment.
- He has been making the case that lawmakers are empowered to take action, pointing to language in the amendment that allows "such other body as Congress may by law provide" to declare Trump unfit for office.
Reality check: The White House is highly unlikely to comply with this request — as evidenced by their statement — and Raskin lacks the subpoena power granted to committee chairs.
