As Donald Trump becomes more unhinged than ever, mental health professionals around the country are begging for some form of action to be taken to protect America. This has only compounded thanks to the recent news that former acting FBI director Andrew McCabe had launched an investigation into the president because he thought Trump posed a threat to the country.
Yale psychiatrist Bandy X. Lee has now added himself to the voices of many psychiatrists in calling for a mental evaluation of Trump. In a recent interview, Lee doubled down on the fact that Trump is mentally impaired and needs to have his mental state checked. In the interview, Lee explained how he thought Trump was a threat:
This situation did not come about suddenly, but it is what we have been speaking about since over two years ago. That his psychological dangerousness would translate into an assault on democracy and human rights (and the people in general), a culture of violence domestically and geopolitical belligerence abroad, and even an existential threat to the survival of human species because of the technology he has at his disposal—and we can add onto that his acceleration of climate catastrophe—is precisely what we have been saying since his election.”
Lee also stated that Americans had every right to demand a mental evaluation of Trump:
The American people, who are his employers, have every right to demand one, most essentially a fitness for duty exam before he continues another day, another hour, or another minute at his job. Every employer has a right to this, and the public will be surprised how often employees are stopped in the middle of their jobs and asked to pass a fitness for duty exam before they return—for jobs far less consequential and for impairments much less severe than Mr. Trump’s.
If we are unable to do this, it calls into question whether we are a democracy (where the leader serves the people) or an autocracy (where the people serve the leader). What may not be as well known is that autocracy unfolds more effectively when the leader is mentally impaired and capable of spreading pathology, than if the leader were healthy. Very simply, preference for autocracy represents what we call a “regressed” state, where you revert to wanting to be dependent on a strong parental figure rather than being self-reliant. That state is normal in children, but when you regress as an adult or are stuck because of arrested development, then it is pathological and will not be life-affirming. My responsibility as a health professional is not to Mr. Trump, who is not my patient, but to society, as the protection of public health and safety is one of our direct responsibilities.”
Many other mental health professional have stated similar things, and have been ever since the president took office. Psychiatrist Dee Mosbacher is yet another professional calling for something to be done about the president’s mental instability. In an interview, Mosbacher said:
I have been calling for a thorough neuropsychiatric evaluation of Donald Trump since November, 2016. He has shown numerous signs of mental impairment that warrant an immediate evaluation. This evaluation should include a thorough assessment of his capacity to perform the duties of office. Such an evaluation could take place if a neuropsychiatric consultation were requested after the 25th Amendment was invoked.”
And there are so many more likeminded opinions from psychiatrists all over the country. Even the American people can see that Trump is unwell, and we deserve to have the assurance that the country has a president that is mentally capable of handling his job. Deep down, we all know that Trump does not.
Featured image via screen capture
