25th Amendment, Section 4: “Whenever the Vice President and a majority of either the principal officers of the executive departments or of such other body as Congress may by law provide, transmit to the President pro tempore of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives their written declaration that the President is unable to discharge the powers and duties of his office, the Vice President shall immediately assume the powers and duties of the office as Acting President.”
By Matthew A. McIntosh / 03.04.2017
Brewminate Editor-in-Chief
A “Public Manifesto” was signed by psychotherapists across the nation detailing the dangers of “Trumpism” and pointing out the symptoms of the mental instability of Donald Trump himself. Today, he solidified that claim with a series of Tweets claiming President Obama to have ordered wiretaps of Trump Tower during the campaign.
What evidence did our current president provide for this outlandish claim? None. As usual, not a bit of support for his claim beyond his own paranoia.
Even the president cannot simply order a wiretap and must go through the Justice Department to obtain a warrant, even if under FISA, and there would be records of these warrants. This would be a very easy claim to prove.
Former Obama Justice and National Security officials have responded to Trump’s claims calling them “false” and “absolute nonsense”.
Trump has been searching high and low for those leaking information about his campaign and administration. This is not an easy task, and failing in that endeavor he has simply resorted to wild, baseless accusations. His administration and campaign officials and surrogates are consistently being shown to have met with Russian officials during a campaign that our intelligence community unanimously says was influenced by Russia under Putin’s direction.
First, let’s look to how the American Psychiatric Association defines Narcissistic Personality Disorder (NPD). That diagnosis is made when four of the following nine factors are present:
- Has a grandiose sense of self-importance (exaggerates achievements and talents, expects to be recognized as superior without commensurate achievements).
- Is preoccupied with fantasies of unlimited success, power, brilliance, beauty, or ideal love.
- Believe that he or she is “special” and unique and can only be understood by, or should associate with other special or high-status people.
- Requires excessive admiration.
- Has a sense of entitlement.
- Is interpersonally exploitative.
- Lacks empathy: is unwilling to recognize or identify with the feelings and needs of others.
- Is often envious of others or believes that others are envious of him or her.
- Shows arrogant, haughty behaviors or attitudes.
Anyone who hasn’t been under a rock can immediately assign seven of those nine factors to Trump without question. Numbers 6 and 7 would be more well-known by those close to him. The casual observer can certainly find instances that would seem to qualify, but not as readily as the other seven.
No one – at least no one sane – even needs this list to say Trump is narcissistic. It is clear that he is a walking example of NPD.
The APA also lists seven symptoms of Paranoid Personality Disorder (PPD). They are:
- Suspects, without sufficient basis, that others are exploiting, harming, or deceiving him or her.
- Is preoccupied with unjustified doubts about the loyalty or trustworthiness of friends or associates.
- Is reluctant to confide in others because of unwarranted fear that the information will be used maliciously against him or her.
- Reads hidden demeaning or threatening meanings into benign remarks or events.
- Persistently bears grudges (i.e., is unforgiving of insults, injuries, or slights).
- Perceives attacks on his or her character or reputation that are not apparent to others, and is quick to react angrily or to counterattack.
- Has recurrent suspicions, without justification, regarding fidelity of spouse or sexual partner.
A person exhibiting four or more of those symptoms has PPD, and one can again without question assign five of them to Trump immediately. We cannot know the answers to numbers 3 and 7 beyond speculation, but the others have been on public display for quite some time.
A “citizen journalist” who many have long suspected should seek counseling at the very least is Alex Jones. Interestingly, Trump has been on Jones’ show and once told him that he would make him “proud”. Birds of a feather, as they say.
Vice President Pence and Secretaries of departments under the Trump administration, you have more than enough cause to be concerned about he mental stability of President Donald Trump and his ability to perform the duties of his office. Ample evidence exists that he cannot “faithfully preserve, protect, and defend the Constitution of the United States.”
Just over one month into office, you have the duty to perform your obligation to uphold the very same oath you took. The 25th amendment provides:
Whenever the Vice President and a majority of either the principal officers of the executive departments or of such other body as Congress may by law provide, transmit to the President pro tempore of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives their written declaration that the President is unable to discharge the powers and duties of his office, the Vice President shall immediately assume the powers and duties of the office as Acting President.
Thereafter, when the President transmits to the President pro tempore of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives his written declaration that no inability exists, he shall resume the powers and duties of his office unless the Vice President and a majority of either the principal officers of the executive department or of such other body as Congress may by law provide, transmit within four days to the President pro tempore of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives their written declaration that the President is unable to discharge the powers and duties of his office. Thereupon Congress shall decide the issue, assembling within forty-eight hours for that purpose if not in session. If the Congress, within twenty-one days after receipt of the latter written declaration, or, if Congress is not in session, within twenty-one days after Congress is required to assemble, determines by two-thirds vote of both Houses that the President is unable to discharge the powers and duties of his office, the Vice President shall continue to discharge the same as Acting President; otherwise, the President shall resume the powers and duties of his office.
The security of our nation is in your hands. Take the steps necessary to stop your boss from doing any more damage than he already has, damage that could be much worse. Congress will convene and may require a psychological evaluation or simply determine by vote that he is unable to perform the duties of his office.
Donald Trump is symptomatically and dangerously narcissistic and paranoid.
Our nation deserves a mentally fit president. We deserve a president who will not daily cause havoc and continue to generate great concern among the citizens you represent.
For the good of the Constitution we all love and our safety, get this man’s fingers away from all literal and metaphorical “buttons”, now.
Featured Photo: Trump gesturing wildly as he spoke at a campaign rally at the Century Center in South Bend, Indiana, May 2, 2016. / Photography by Tannen Maury, Creative Commons