RFK Jr. Confronted by Democrat on 25th Amendment and Donald Trump
Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. faced questions on Friday about whether he would support invoking the 25th Amendment if President Donald Trump were found unable to handle his office, following a series of controversial comments and Truth Social posts in recent weeks.
“Should Trump fail a mental fitness test, would you vote to invoke the 25th Amendment?” Representative Mark Takano, a California Democrat, asked Kennedy, to which the secretary attempted to deflect, claiming the president “is the most stable.”
“Apparently not,” Takano replied.
Why It Matters
Calls from Democratic lawmakers and critics to invoke the 25th Amendment against Trump have followed him throughout his presidency, particularly following episodes they described as erratic or dangerous conduct. After the January 6, 2021, Capitol attack, multiple Democrats urged Vice President Mike Pence and Cabinet officials to declare Trump unfit for office, arguing his actions and rhetoric showed he could no longer discharge his constitutional duties.
Those calls have only intensified during Trump’s second term, as his advanced age and increased scrutiny following concerns about former President Joe Biden’s mental state have raised similar concerns about Trump. House Democrats introduced legislation aimed at assessing Trump's fitness for office after statements about Iran that lawmakers said raised concerns about his ability to discharge presidential duties.
Despite heightened rhetoric and public pressure, invoking the 25th Amendment remains unlikely, as it requires support from the vice president and a majority of the Cabinet.
What To Know
Kennedy, who was on the Hill on Thursday, returned Friday as House lawmakers continued to grill the secretary over criticism of policy plans, including the rising measles outbreak in several states.
Takano’s exchange with Kennedy was heated, as were many of the exchanges between lawmakers and the health secretary over the past two days. The congressman had one of his aides hold up a magnified version of controversial messages Trump had recently posted on Truth Social.
“Mr. Secretary, the Commander-in-Chief of the United States military is calling for the eradication of an entire civilization,” Takano said, referring to a Truth Social post Trump made threatening Iran. He also cited an “unhinged attack” by Trump on Pope Leo XIV and an AI-generated image the president posted of himself depicted as Jesus Christ.
“People across the country and around the world were deeply offended by this blasphemous image,” Takano said. “Millions of Americans are questioning this president’s mental fitness and emotional stability, and whether he can carry out the duties of his office.”
Takano asked Kennedy if he would insist the president undergo a test of his mental fitness and emotional stability, to which Kennedy said: “Absolutely not.”
Kennedy said that there “hasn’t been a president who is more sane” than Trump, adding later that Trump is “the most stable.”
Takano disagreed.
“We can all see that this president is mentally unstable and unfit to lead this country,” the congressman said. “You as the nation’s top health official have a particular role here, and you are choosing your loyalty to Donald Trump over your loyalty to the Constitution and keeping the faith with the American people.”
Why Are People Concerned About President Trump’s Mental Fitness?
Three particular episodes in recent weeks have driven renewed calls for Trump’s Cabinet to consider invoking the 25th Amendment: First, his claim on April 7, Easter Sunday, that “a whole civilization will die tonight, never to be brought back again” if Iran did not agree to demands to end the war and open the Strait of Hormuz.
Many experts, scholars and critics said the president's rhetoric suggested genocidal intent, while others voiced concern that his references to the scale of destruction raised fears he could consider using a nuclear weapon.
Amid Pope Leo’s criticism of the war in Iran, Trump posted on social media on April 12 that he was “weak on crime and terrible for Foreign Policy.” That was followed by the now-deleted AI image of himself as Jesus Christ healing a sick man. Trump later said that he thought the image showed him as a doctor.
Prominent supporters of Trump, such as Megyn Kelly and Alex Jones, have outright questioned the president’s thinking and distanced themselves from him.
Kelly asked during a recent episode of The Megyn Kelly Show, “Can't he just behave like a normal human?” referring to Trump, while Jones said on his podcast that the president is “not doing too hot” and suggested his supporters “cut bait” on him.
Newsweek's reporters and editors used Martyn, our Al assistant, to help produce this story. Learn more about Martyn.
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This story was originally published April 17, 2026 at 4:56 PM.