Prominent Physician Urges Congressional Investigation into President Trump's Mental Capacity
Dr. Jonathan Reiner, the distinguished cardiologist who provided medical care to the late Vice President Dick Cheney, has publicly called for a formal bipartisan congressional inquiry into President Donald Trump's mental fitness for office. This demand follows the emergence of an extraordinary letter written by Trump to Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Stoere, which was leaked on Monday.
Controversial Letter Sparks Widespread Concern
In the letter, which was reportedly distributed to other European nations, President Trump expressed his frustration after being overlooked for the Nobel Peace Prize. He made the startling declaration that he "no longer feels an obligation to think purely of peace." This correspondence was penned amidst his aggressive campaign to acquire the Danish territory of Greenland.
"This letter, and the fact that the president directed that it be distributed to other European countries, should trigger a bipartisan congressional inquiry into presidential fitness," Dr. Reiner stated emphatically in a post on the social media platform X.
Growing Chorus of Voices Questioning Presidential Stability
Dr. Reiner is not alone in his concerns. Several prominent political figures and experts have echoed calls for scrutiny regarding the president's mental state.
Democratic Representative Yassamin Ansari of Arizona issued a stark warning, stating, "The president of the United States is extremely mentally ill and it's putting all of our lives at risk. The 25th Amendment exists for a reason—we need to invoke it immediately." This constitutional amendment provides a mechanism for the president's cabinet to remove them from office if a sufficient majority votes in favour.
Fellow Democrats, including Senator Ed Markey of Massachusetts and Representative Eric Swalwell of California, have also advocated for invoking the 25th Amendment in response to the letter's contents.
Academic and International Perspectives Add Weight to Concerns
Eliot A. Cohen, professor emeritus at Johns Hopkins University and a former State Department counselor, offered a blunt assessment: "There was only one possible explanation of Trump's note to the Norwegian prime minister: mental illness."
From an international standpoint, Swedish economist Anders Aslund, chairman of the International Advisory Council at the Center for Social and Economic Research, posed critical questions on social media. "Isn't the U.S. able to provide Trump with the necessary mental treatment?" he asked, adding, "How can the republicans in the U.S. Congress accept that an obviously mentally ill person remains U.S. president?"
White House Response and Trump's Subsequent Actions
In response to previous speculation about the president's health, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt has asserted that Trump "has nothing to hide, unlike his predecessor Joe Biden, who hid from the press and lied about his clear physical and mental decline." President Trump himself has frequently boasted about excelling in cognitive examinations.
Despite these mounting concerns, President Trump escalated tensions with European leaders in a series of posts on Truth Social early Tuesday. These posts included AI-generated images depicting him lecturing European leaders in the White House beside a map that showed Greenland and Canada as American territory. Another image portrayed him planting a U.S. flag in Greenland alongside Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
Furthermore, Trump threatened to impose tariffs of 200 percent on French wine and cheese. This threat followed his decision to share a private text message from French President Emmanuel Macron, who expressed that he "did not understand" the president's actions concerning Greenland.
The convergence of this controversial diplomatic communication, the calls from a respected medical professional, and the reactions from political figures both domestically and abroad has ignited a significant debate regarding the mechanisms for assessing and ensuring the mental fitness of the nation's highest office holder.
