Reasonable
Gold Member
- Feb 9, 2017
- 19,787
- 2,401
Trump is a danger to the country and himself. He needs help.
WASHINGTON ― A Democratic congressman is introducing legislation as soon as next week that would require a psychiatrist at the White House, something he says is overdue but also urgent given his and other people’s concerns about President Donald Trump’s mental health.
Rep. Ted Lieu (D-Calif.) said Tuesday that the president, any president, should have access to a mental health professional given the pressures of the job. Congress passed a law in 1928 requiring a physician at the White House, but stopped short of requiring a psychiatrist because of the stigma associated with mental illness.
“I’m looking at it from the perspective of, if there are questions about the mental health of the president of the United States, what may be the best way to get the president treatment?” Lieu said in an interview with The Huffington Post. “We’re now in the 21st century. Mental health is just as important as physical health.”
But he isn’t just thinking about future presidents. Lieu said he’s been increasingly alarmed by Trump’s erratic behavior and penchant for lying about things, big and small, that are easy to disprove.
“It is not normal for the president of the United States, within 24 hours, to write about death and destruction and fake news and evil,” he said. “The most troubling aspect of this is it is very clear he has a disconnection from the truth. … The very first press conference he had in this administration, they could have talked about jobs or health care. They talked about crowd size. And then lied about it. It’s one of the most bizarre events I’ve witnessed in politics.”
Since being sworn in as president, Trump has lied about matters more serious than the size of his crowds. He falsely claimed 3 million to 5 million people voted illegallyin the election. He falsely suggested other countries besides Russia may have been behind the cyberattacks during the election. He falsely accused the media of not reporting on widely covered terrorist attacks.
Trump has also launched personal attacks via Twitter on companies such as Nordstrom, which dropped his daughter’s line of clothing and shoes, and on federal judges who don’t rule in his favor.
Lieu said he’s not a doctor, but many people like him are worried about the president’s pattern of behavior.
“His disconnection from the truth is incredibly disturbing,” he said. “When you add on top of that his stifling of dissent, his attacks on the free press and his attacks on the legitimacy of judiciary, that then takes us down the road toward authoritarianism. That’s why I’ve concluded he is a danger to the republic.”
A White House spokeswoman did not respond to a request for comment.
Congressman To File Bill Requiring A Psychiatrist At The White House | The Huffington Post
WASHINGTON ― A Democratic congressman is introducing legislation as soon as next week that would require a psychiatrist at the White House, something he says is overdue but also urgent given his and other people’s concerns about President Donald Trump’s mental health.
Rep. Ted Lieu (D-Calif.) said Tuesday that the president, any president, should have access to a mental health professional given the pressures of the job. Congress passed a law in 1928 requiring a physician at the White House, but stopped short of requiring a psychiatrist because of the stigma associated with mental illness.
“I’m looking at it from the perspective of, if there are questions about the mental health of the president of the United States, what may be the best way to get the president treatment?” Lieu said in an interview with The Huffington Post. “We’re now in the 21st century. Mental health is just as important as physical health.”
But he isn’t just thinking about future presidents. Lieu said he’s been increasingly alarmed by Trump’s erratic behavior and penchant for lying about things, big and small, that are easy to disprove.
“It is not normal for the president of the United States, within 24 hours, to write about death and destruction and fake news and evil,” he said. “The most troubling aspect of this is it is very clear he has a disconnection from the truth. … The very first press conference he had in this administration, they could have talked about jobs or health care. They talked about crowd size. And then lied about it. It’s one of the most bizarre events I’ve witnessed in politics.”
Since being sworn in as president, Trump has lied about matters more serious than the size of his crowds. He falsely claimed 3 million to 5 million people voted illegallyin the election. He falsely suggested other countries besides Russia may have been behind the cyberattacks during the election. He falsely accused the media of not reporting on widely covered terrorist attacks.
Trump has also launched personal attacks via Twitter on companies such as Nordstrom, which dropped his daughter’s line of clothing and shoes, and on federal judges who don’t rule in his favor.
Lieu said he’s not a doctor, but many people like him are worried about the president’s pattern of behavior.
“His disconnection from the truth is incredibly disturbing,” he said. “When you add on top of that his stifling of dissent, his attacks on the free press and his attacks on the legitimacy of judiciary, that then takes us down the road toward authoritarianism. That’s why I’ve concluded he is a danger to the republic.”
A White House spokeswoman did not respond to a request for comment.
Congressman To File Bill Requiring A Psychiatrist At The White House | The Huffington Post
Last edited:
