Speaker Nancy Pelosi said on Thursday that Democrats would be discussing the 25th Amendment on Friday.
As The Hill reported, Pelosi was talking with the press about the stalled negotiations over a stimulus bill to give Americans relief from the economic impact of the coronavirus pandemic. She made a brief aside to warn the assembled press that she would be discussing the Amendment, which establishes the process for replacing the president should they become incapacitated or be removed from office.
“Tomorrow, by the way, tomorrow, come here tomorrow. We’re going to be talking about the 25th Amendment. But not to take attention away from the subject we have now,” she said.
Pelosi was asked to clarify her statement and whether she meant that it was time to invoke the 25th Amendment.
“I’m not talking about it today except to tell you, if you want to talk about that, we’ll see you tomorrow,” she replied.
She did, however, add a few more details that suggested the discussion would be about the information coming out of the administration about Trump’s illness, especially the timeline given for the progression of his disease.
“But you take me back to my point, Mr. President, when was the last time you had a negative test before you tested positive? Why is the White House not telling the country that important fact about how this made a hotspot of the White House?” she said.
Trump reportedly tested positive for the coronavirus last Friday and was hospitalized shortly after for four days. Since then, numerous individuals in his orbit have also tested positive for COVID-19. All told, about 34 staffers and others in close proximity have contracted the disease.
On Monday, after receiving supplemental oxygen and treatment involving Remdesivir and dexamethasone, he returned to the White House. He claimed to feel completely recovered, but there have been concerns about Trump returning to work while he’s potentially still contagious.
At the same time, some have questioned the transparency of Trump’s physician Sean Conley, who avoided some questions about Trump’s health and admitted to giving misleading answers at one point.
Pelosi accused Trump of being in an “altered state” as a result of the virus and its treatment after he announced that he was calling an end to negotiations over the stimulus package.
Democrats have since suggested that they would like to update an existing bill that would enable a commission to determine if a president is physically or mentally fit to hold office.
