Rep. Maxine Waters Calls for Invocation of 25th Amendment Against President Trump

August 30, 2025 - Washington, D.C.

Democratic Congresswoman Maxine Waters urged Friday for Congress to invoke the 25th Amendment to determine President Donald Trump’s fitness for office, warning that his recent removal of Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook poses a grave threat to the nation’s economy and democracy.

Speaking on MSNBC’s The Weeknight, Waters asserted that the president’s unilateral decision to oust Cook “stands to basically upend the entire economy” and could allow Trump to make decisions from which he “will personally benefit.” She argued that invoking Section 4 of the Amendment-the clause permitting the vice president and a majority of the Cabinet to declare the president unable to discharge his duties-is warranted “to determine that something’s wrong with this president” and to safeguard the country from “destructive” leadership.

Cook filed suit against the administration on Thursday, contending that Trump failed to meet the “for cause” standard required for the removal of a Federal Reserve governor and seeking a restraining order to retain her seat. Legal experts predict the case will reach the Supreme Court, marking an unprecedented confrontation between the executive branch and the central bank.

Former Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell’s continued tenure is also reportedly at risk, with Waters’s Democratic colleagues warning that Trump’s real aim may be to reshape monetary policy by targeting the Fed’s leadership. On Friday, Representative Debbie Wasserman Schultz described Cook’s firing as a “monkey wrench” thrown into the Federal Reserve’s governance, lamenting that Cook “didn’t even break the law” and did not receive preferential mortgage rates, undermining the president’s allegations.

As calls for the Amendment’s use grow louder, political analysts note that invoking Section 4 would require Vice President Mike Pence and a majority of Cabinet secretaries to transmit a written declaration to Congress. Such a move would immediately elevate Pence to Acting President, pending any presidential challenge and potential two-thirds congressional vote to restore Trump’s authority. Thus far, no senior administration officials have publicly signaled willingness to participate in that process.

The debate over the 25th Amendment underscores escalating tensions in Washington over the separation of powers and the integrity of economic institutions. With the lawsuit against Cook poised for judicial review and bipartisan concern mounting, the legal and political battles ahead could test constitutional safeguards in unprecedented fashion.