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By Jesus Mesa
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Ty Cobb, who served as White House counsel during President Donald Trump's first term, said Wednesday that president is "clearly insane" and questioned why the Cabinet has not invoked the 25th Amendment to remove him from office.
Appearing on The Jim Acosta Show, Cobb pointed to Trump's conduct during the Iran war and late-night social media posts as evidence that the president is unfit.
"Given the fact that the Cabinet will not invoke the 25th Amendment for a man who is clearly insane—this war highlights that and these screeds that come out nightly, you know, at 2 a.m. or 4 a.m.—it highlights the level of his insanity and depravity," Cobb said.
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Why It Matters
The 25th Amendment allows the vice president and a majority of the Cabinet to declare a president unable to discharge his duties, with the VP becoming acting president. Congress can vote to make the removal permanent if two-thirds of both chambers agree.
The renewed focus follows a series of political controversies and foreign policy flashpoints, most recently the military operation in Iran, that have prompted critics to question Trump's fitness for office. The mechanism has never been used to remove a president.
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What To Know
Cobb's comments represent one of the most pointed public attacks from a former Trump insider, suggesting the president's mental state has deteriorated beyond what he witnessed during the first administration.
"I think he's gone," Cobb said to Acosta, a Trump critic, when asked directly if the president had lost his grip on reality.
Cobb cited Trump's Iran war strategy, which he said was executed without consulting allies and against military advice. He also pointed to Trump's recent Truth Social posts telling allies to "go get your own oil" from the Strait of Hormuz.
"He believed that merely by exercising his power and puffing out his chest that Iran would surrender, that the regime would step down," Cobb said. "And now his position to the world is, hey, we broke it. I don't care. You fix it."
He also criticized the Cabinet's composition, arguing that it lacked the "intelligent, courageous people of character" who could push back during the first term, such as Defense Secretary James Mattis and White House Chief of Staff John Kelly.
"There were people who would say no, you can't do that," Cobb said. "We don't have that now."
The debate has gained traction as figures on the right and left discuss the possibility of Vice President JD Vance leading a transition if a majority of the Cabinet deemed the president unable to serve. Journalist Scott McConnell, founding editor of The American Conservative magazine, has called on Vance to express his support for a transition of power based on the 25th Amendment.
However, this is not the first time the president has faced such calls. Democrats have invoked Section Four of the 25th Amendment on several occasions since Trump's first term, including after the Capitol riot on January 6, 2021.
What People Are Saying
Journalist Scott McConnell, founding editor of The American Conservative magazine, posted on March 23: "My advice to Vance: announce your support of a 25th Amendment transition. Say Chris Murphy or similar will be veep. Announce you will not be a candidate in 2028. Use your position and access to the media to explain why this is necessary. Don't resign."
President Donald Trump joked to reporters after a Cabinet meeting on March 27: "I can't say what we're going to do because if I did, I wouldn't be sitting here for long. They'd probably—what is it called? The 25th Amendment? They'd institute the 25th Amendment."
What Happens Next
Prediction markets have given low chances that the 25th Amendment will be used during Trump’s presidency, with Kalshi putting the probability at 33 percent and Polymarket at 8 percent for removal before the end of the year.
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