What Really Happens When A President Is Hospitalized?
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The Ultimate Fail-Safe: 25th Amendment, Section 4
The Cabinet can remove a President deemed unfit.
If a President is incapacitated and unable or unwilling to step down, Section 4 provides the most dramatic constitutional remedy. The Vice President and a majority of the Cabinet can declare the President unfit, immediately making the VP the Acting President. This provision has never been used, but it remains a critical safeguard for the continuity of government.