Rep. Maxine Waters, D-Calif., called for using the 25th Amendment against President Donald Trump on Friday, arguing that he is unfit for office after his decision to remove Lisa Cook from the Federal Reserve’s Board of Governors.
“It is time to call for Article [Amendment] 25 of the Constitution of the United States of America to determine his unfitness, to determine that something’s wrong with this president,” Waters said on MSNBC’s The Weeknight. “We must talk about the danger to this country and to our democracy and not play around with this, because this is one of the most destructive things this president could do.”
President Trump removed Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook on Monday, accusing her of misrepresenting mortgage information.
“This could upend the entire economy,” Waters continued. “It affects Wall Street, interest rates, and the president’s ability to make decisions that he will personally benefit from.”
Cook filed a lawsuit against Trump on Thursday, arguing her removal didn’t meet the legal standard of “for cause” and asked the court for a restraining order so she could stay in her position. The case is expected to reach the Supreme Court, raising tensions between the White House and the Federal Reserve.
During the panel discussion, MSNBC host Symone Sanders-Townsend asked Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz, D-Fla., about Waters’ call for the 25th Amendment.
“I think it’s jarring to hear Congresswoman Waters say it’s time for the 25th Amendment,” Sanders-Townsend said. “But presidents have been impeached for much less.”
Wasserman Schultz claimed Trump’s real goal is to remove Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell.
“Donald Trump’s real preference is to fire Jerome Powell, but he knows that’s a bridge too far,” she said. “Instead, he’s meddling with the Federal Reserve by targeting Lisa Cook. The case showed today that she’s not even being investigated. The so-called fraud she’s accused of didn’t even give her better mortgage rates, which proves she didn’t break the law. It’s preposterous.”
