253 Comments
User's avatar
Chris's avatar

He is really losing his grip on reality. Not by any stretch of the imagination where a sitting president needs to be. I stand with your position on the 25th Amendment. Thank you for what you do.

Stephen Brady's avatar

As a retired Internist who was fully qualified to diagnose dementia I have a great deal of concern. The docs at Walter Reed are nobody's fools. I'm sure he has had the appropriate lab workup, the MRI of the brain, and the detailed Neuropsychiatric exam to make the diagnosis... but, constrained by medical ethics and HIPAA, they are silenced.

Roberta's avatar

You know, military officers are constrained, too, but at the end of the day, they have to make personal choices about what is JUST and RIGHT and GOOD. I am reminded of the old hymn, "Once to every man and nation comes the moment to decide 'tween the fight of truth with falsehood for the good or evil side".

Mloowho's avatar

Thank you and well said. Sometimes we have to put country over our career. This is one time when they should.

Larry Schneider's avatar

We used to draft military doctors... better doctors?

Jude's avatar

I've read elsewhere that Congress has the right to demand and then to see those doctor reports. Anyone else know about that?

Mari Wilson's avatar

Adam should answer this.

Stephen Brady's avatar

Not that I have heard and I am sure Little Johnson and John Thune would torpedo any such vote.

Jude's avatar

OK, here's info on this question. Apparently it's a grey area, but I wish Congress would at least try. Ach, it won't let me paste the url. If you're interested, go to Congress.gov and find "Congressional Access to Personal Health Information."

Jeff Lazar's avatar

They are also silenced by the risk to their careers, as all of them are officers...typically at O4 level and above. Current doc is, I recall, an O5 (Navy Commander, Army Lt. Col).

Liz R's avatar

Ultimately, the oath to defend the Constitution must be weighed against one’s job. Especially doctors: it’s not like they can’t get civilian jobs. First, do no harm - millions of people globally are being harmed by an incompetent president.

Floofie Snapz Back!'s avatar

Harmed by THIS incompetent and malevolent schadenfreudian president who takes grotesque gleeful pleasure in causing damage, destruction and death.

Larry Schneider's avatar

How good are Walter Reed's doctors? The O-4s and up? Or are they pols, assigned to the president? I wouldn't be surprised if Joe & Jill didn't know something before he ran again.

Liz R's avatar

Theoretically, doctors assigned to Walter Reed should be the best. Today, who knows.

Mloowho's avatar

Country over career period point blank. These people took an oath to the constitution.

Markopolis Balhaus's avatar

Yes because if there is no country left, what damn good is ANY career. You are absolutely right about that. The Constitution is first. They are letting this go way to far.

Larry Schneider's avatar

Why did we stop drafting military doctors? The ones I dealt with were draftees, and I was very satisfied. With draftee docs they could pick the best qualified, put them on active duty, and add them to the reserve force. Watch the movie "M*A*S*H."

Larry Schneider's avatar

I was very satisfied with my contacts with Army doctors during by draft service, but those doctors were probably draftees as well. Senior military doctors have a career to consider.

LeeDoza's avatar

Retired Internist here too. But no, this is not consistent with dementia, it is consistent with his stressed malignant narcissism. The pattern is just repeating over and over. Time for 25th? It may be but no one will do it.

Larry Schneider's avatar

Just curious, Doctor, but can you explain how the docs at Walter Reed failed to catch Biden's advanced cancer? Isn't there a blood test? Or did they catch it and Biden concealed it?

Stephen Brady's avatar

Sure. In general we stop doing the PSA test about 75 because many men in their late 70s and 80s can be diagnosed with a form of Prostate Cancer which won’t kill them. But, as in President Biden’s case this tactic does miss the rare lethal form. The thing about the one he has is they mostly do not respond to treatment. He might have declined to be tested as well. I and most internists always present the options and let the patient decide.

SPW's avatar

According to the article I just posted, it did say that his type of cancer was responsive to hormone treatment and the last report we had a few weeks ago, former President Biden is doing well.

Stephen Brady's avatar

Hunter said in a recent interview that his Dad had widely metastatic, high grade Cancer and was in a lot of pain and not doing well.

Larry Schneider's avatar

Thanks for the information. According to Hunter, his father is in a lot of pain now. He may not be doing well.

Larry Schneider's avatar

People Magazine. Presidents should be routinely screened for all sorts of problems. Every blood test available. Imagine what would have happened if Biden had continued? If Biden had allowed a democratic primary process? With real choices? 2024 was a Russian-style fiasco.

Markopolis Balhaus's avatar

Yes we all are. And anyone who is not frightened by this is not paying attention.

crazy cat lady's avatar

or is still a member of the maga cult.

Markopolis Balhaus's avatar

Absolutely. This stuff is not just "concerning" anymore.

Valerie Herzog's avatar

It is very, very difficult for any intelligent and sane person to not be worried.

Jeanne Mattson's avatar

I'm past worried, I'm downright Terrified!

Lane Boland's avatar

"This is a sitting president who, with increasing frequency, appears to be narrating his reality through imagery he invented rather than through what is actually happening on the ground." He is a reality TV star who learned a long time ago to rewrite the script anytime he doesn't like how it's going. In that world reality is what you make it, and this time around he's surrounded himself with people who would never dare to contradict him.

Sabrina DiMichele's avatar

The man has NEVER faced a consequence.

Jerry Hawthorne's avatar

I never like the word "NEVER", but in this case ?????

Mari Wilson's avatar

He won't. Sometimes evil gets away with it.

crazy cat lady's avatar

i agree, and that scares the sh*t out of me.

Jerry Hawthorne's avatar

Even Al Capone want to jail eventually!

Mari Wilson's avatar

Maybe Rump will get syphilis, too! After all, he is a walking STD…

Ryan's avatar

He will face a consequence.

Floofie Snapz Back!'s avatar

Yep, just maybe not while living. I sure as heck hope the Almighty strops his big old butt with fervor.

LeeDoza's avatar

Well said I am sharing this as an aside in my share of the piece.

Notta Chance's avatar

Everything that whack job does concerns me.

If SCOTUS wasn’t blessing all his crap, I wouldn’t much care. But they are totally compliant in this mess.

Mari Wilson's avatar

The SCOTUS 6 are to blame for aaall of this. They need to be removed! Prosecuted for treason and crimes against the Constitution, as well as lying under oath.

Markopolis Balhaus's avatar

The entire group of them are playing with our lives and the lives of our children and families. That orange man has many things going on with him that would terrify a psychiatrist. Not just old age or dementia. He is going to have a collapse and all of us will pay for it. Serious, serious business going on here and something has to be done about it. The people going along with this ARE committing treason. CLEARLY. What more proof do we need to see? A mushroom cloud over Portland or Los Angeles? Good God Almighty.

Gin's avatar

Dr. Bandy Lee is a psychiatrist who writes about this regularly on Substack. Look her up.

Chuck's avatar

And Congress can do that!...but only after we elect AMERICANS instead of Republicans and have supermajorities in both House and Senate.

The same corrupt "justices" who are violating our Constitution's intent AND letter also either lied to Congress to get their job, took (and are STILL TAKING) bribes, and/or lied when they swore an oath to serve our Constitution that they now 💩 on with great regularity. Impeaching and removing them for all of ...THIS... that's happening because of their corruption should not be that difficult.

But until we get ETHICAL justices, the corrupt Seditious6 will continue to simply be Trump's cheerleading squad as he violates laws and Constitution without consequence: they have already allowed him to be illegally elected following his failed coup, to act as Congress to make "laws," enact tariffs, and spend taxpayer dollars, to violate laws and our Constitution, and to destroy 1/3 of OUR White House. They must be impeached and removed if we wish to have legitimate government again; and it would be wise to harshly sentence them after prosecution to deter future scumbags who also lack the ethics that Roberts cares nothing about from wanting to violate our Constitution ever again, because "you remember what happened to Roberts and his corrupt justices, right?!?" is a deterrent.

Mloowho's avatar

Congress too!!!

Mary R's avatar

I have been ready for that discussion since the bastard took office a second time. I am convinced that he is an agent of the Russians, the Chinese, the Israelis--pretty much any and everyone who will give him crazy, over-the-top compliments and bribes to him, his family, and his cronies. I have been saying 25th Amendment time since FOREVER!! God help America and the good people and countries of the world. I am an 80 year old white woman (middle class) who prays to God every day that I live long enough to see Agent 🍊 gone from this planet and the rest of the evil-acting, oppressive bastards as well--(may God judge him mercifully and fairly) and deliver the rest of us from evil I pray that they and their families and cronies Go BANKRUPT.

Aletha Evert's avatar

I too started saying the 25th Amendment long ago. Unfortunately, as others have said, it will never happen with his fawning clown cabinet or with members of the GOP in Congress. He's leading us all off a cliff.

Kathleen Iverson's avatar

No one will ever do anything because of not only their need for power and $$ but because that base of his are the white supremist, 3 percenters, proud boys and all of the other criminals who have no problem spouting death threats to not only them, but their family members. This is all of the worst of the worst and trump is the pied piper of the worst and his followers of his cult will do anything to make sure he and his ilk never leave.

Regina Peruggi's avatar

Your column this morning was in some way, bone chilling. As each day passes I become more and more frustrated that nothing, absolutely nothing is being done to check this man and end the madness. Thousands of innocent people are being deported. I read this morning that less than 4% of those deported have committed a crime, no one wants to buy our bonds, our debt is out of control and the armed forces are leaderless u see the direction of a bigoted know nothing. People can’t ford food or rent. Millions are going without health care. Our food supply is tainted more and more for lack of inspection and people are dying of measles for the first time in years! And, we have a commander in chief who spends his time in a dream world sending out pictures divorced from reality and the only reality he seems involved with is ballrooms and gold statues? I just turned 80 years old, spent my entire career in public service and I’ve never felt so despondent. I marched for civil rights…I protested against Vietnam. I vote religiously in every election. I donate to candidates . I protest but there seems to be no movement and I fear that this election( which is our only hope) will be a disaster. Thank you for reminding us we can’t stop staying involved. It is a dangerous time.

Liz R's avatar

Same. I’m 70, was in the National Guard, spent part of my career in nursing in public service, protested in the 70s, and again since 2016. I vote, donate, all of it. Our very democracy is at stake.

crazy cat lady's avatar

and, i believe, our very lives are at stake the longer this madness continues. i'm 74 and was also in public service. the government i knew and loved is gone.

Liz R's avatar

Yes. I hope I live long enough to see democracy come back to the federal government.

Floofie Snapz Back!'s avatar

Excellent.

Re: "Thousands of innocent people are being deported. I read this morning that less than 4% of those deported have committed a crime..." -- and very few of that 4% have committed a major crime. Many of the crimes committed for which they're deported are things like DUIs or stealing diapers. Worthy of deportation? NO!!!

(Personally I wouldn't mind if murderers, rapists and pedophiles -- like our child-raping and child-murdering P.O.S. "potus" -- are deported. Let's excise The Orange Malignancy to some wretched African country to which he's already unjustly deported immigrants. Buh-bye!)

Joan Peters's avatar

Totally agree. He lives in his own reality and it doesn’t include any of us. What is really disheartening is that every Republican goes along with it and if the Democrats don’t take the House, we are screwed. Even with the house he has inserted so many of his toadies into the government that I’m not sure we have any control anymore. I just re-watched Ken Burns the Dust Bowl . He managed to get us through the depression and the decibel which was horrific. Yes he created a country that was very different but now it’s been run by oligarchs just like Russia with a head who can do no wrong. I am 78 years old and I am so worried for my grandchildren.

...

Floofie Snapz Back!'s avatar

Though I do agree wholeheartedly with most of what you say, I beg to disagree with this: "every Republican goes along with it" -- if you mean every elected Repug serving in Senate or Congress + every nonelected Repug kowtowing, toadying bootlicker The Orange Malignancy has put in place to serve HIM, not our country, then yeah, you are right.

That said, however, I also feel bound to say that much to my own shock, many once MAGAtty Repugnicans have actually seen reason and the light and have turned their backs on him. Yes, once Rump cultists are defecting in droves. NOT the true believer crazed zealots, though -- they're still clinging on like dingleberries and burrs. And more open-minded Republicans are also turning away and seeking saner, more reasonable and moderate solutions, thank the Deity.

I do believe there is hope for us all, but it will take time, hard work, a willingness to stand up to and defy the illegitimate power now in control, and patience to see the work through in order to recreate a better union, one even better than we once had. I say this also as a 76-yo old lady very worried for my grandchildren and those great-grandchildren to come and for ALL OF US and ALL FUTURE GENERATIONS. I do have hope for humanity.

Meanwhile, YES, 1000% YES, employ the 25th Amendment and excise The Orange Malignancy!

Jonathan Burbaum's avatar

If only we had a functional government this might work. But my understanding is that it would take JD and a majority of the cabinet to act, and then reinstatement is a matter of Trump stating “I am fine”. I can see that as a career ending decision for the responsible and sane contingent of the cabinet, if there is one. It would then take 2/3 of Congress in both houses to remove him, in a veritable coup.

It is perhaps a battle worth having with soldiers like you. Sadly, the clown cabinet and the subservient GOP caucus aren’t the team I’d want on the field. If only…

John Kloc's avatar

You’re assuming Trumps VP and cabinet would only act if it was in the best interest of our country. Given that everyone in this administration is probably corrupt, it’s far more likely they may invoke the 25th to continue the grift especially if they see Trump loosing his grip on power. Then comes the “Et tu Brute” moment when JD and the gang recreate Caesar’s downfall in hopes they may retain power. If we can somehow navigate the minefield republicans are laying to corrupt midterms and change control of Congress, it will be the first step down that road. It shouldn’t take long after that. JD has proven to be ruthless in pursuit of power and influence. He’ll do anything to save his worthless hide and Peter Thiel will make him do it.

Floofie Snapz Back!'s avatar

Well-said. Sadly too true.

Rachel Kahler's avatar

They won't do it because they were specifically chosen to keep him in power (or at least the appearance of power). This is not an Emperor's New Clothes moment. It's a slow motion coup. The Emperor is not only naked and insane, but serving as cover for those who are actually wielding the power - unelected individuals who do not have the best interests of the country or its people in mind. There's a reason that billionaires are building bunkers and why the new ballroom that the corrupt Supreme Court is allowing has one, as well.

crazy cat lady's avatar

take a good look at stephan miller. he is the anti-christ.

Floofie Snapz Back!'s avatar

Nope. He's not in the least charismatic enough to seduce anybody to serve him. It's the Malevolent Orange Grand Poobah who's the Anti-Christ. Stephen Miller is merely a vile hideous bigoted ugly malicious reprehensible egregious super villain who's willing and enabled by Big Ass T to carry out dirty work & blood work, which Miller is delighted to do.

Liz R's avatar

Yes. He and whoever controls him very carefully stacked all three branches of government.

Madeline Bradley's avatar

What are we supposed to do? It’s so hard to sit back and watch the destruction of our country happening right before our eyes and feeling so helpless. And now he is trying to stop free and fair elections which are our only hope. When will this nightmare end?

Cats 🐈🐈‍⬛'s avatar

The most important thing you can do is VOTE. If you are able, talk to your friends and neighbors about voting, too. It’s not too late to write postcards (https://turnoutpac.org/) or letters (https://votefwd.org/). Volunteer with the League of Women Voters in your area. (https://www.lwv.org/). This link is the national site, but there are local leagues all around.

Jude's avatar

And volunteer to work at the polls.

Jude's avatar

Yes, and his latest attempt -- using the USPO to do is dirty work of disenfranchising millions of voters in CA, OR, and WA alone -- should have every congressperson and federal judge (including the effing Sup. Crt.) ready to pounce TODAY! We should all be in the streets every day until that diabolical plan is destroyed.

Liz R's avatar

VOTE. And if we’re very lucky, in November we might see some light.

Jude's avatar

Yes, vote if you can, but please check out what the USPO is planning to do. If not stopped *soon* it will disenfanchise countless people on the whole West Coast and elsewhere in the country.

Liz R's avatar

People everywhere who are too ill to go out, or can’t get time off, or can’t afford transportation to the polls.

Jude's avatar

Hi, Liz. Yes, but there is a MUCH bigger problem. Check out the news about how Trump's USPO would not even SEND the ballots to tens of thousands of people, disabled or not. Try to imagine: most of your neighbors get their ballots, but you don't. How would that feel, not to be able to vote in this election. What would you do?

Julie Dokell Cogan's avatar

Our best solution is for the old, obese slob drop dead in public. Twisting, twitching and orange…his ‘wife’ walking quickly to the closest limo.

Floofie Snapz Back!'s avatar

Love this image! Run, Melanoma, run!

Except I do NOT love calling the malevolent orange megalomaniac "obese" as if it were one of the worst things about him. Not even close. Call him a schadenfreudian diaper-wearing stinking asshole who assaults people everywhere, which he delights in, and assaults noses everywhere, so YES indeed! Call him a child-raping and murdering vicious vile malign anti-christ? You betcher boopy! Call him a narcissistic power-mad deranged ratfucker? Ok by me 1000%! The man is an ugly (I'm talking ugly heart & soul, though it's hotly debated whether or not he even has a heart, hmm) disgusting slob and mega MAGAt shithead, no doubt about it.

But hey, you know what? There are a whole lotta really great human beings who are overweight or obese, so please let's stop using obesity like it's an obscenity and leave fat-shaming out of it.

JB Pritzker is also overweight and I'd be over-the-moon happy to have him as our POTUS!! Same goes for Stacey Abrams!! Both of them fiercely principled, intelligent and clear-minded, strong, tough, humanitarian and with moral compasses in fine working order. And overweight. And who cares?

Floofie Snapz Back!'s avatar

Our hideous illegitimate P.O.S. faux "potus" cheated his way into the presidency via criminal fraud and tampering with the election, and he is many many disgusting things, including:

criminal, immoral, unethical, vicious, cruel, brutal, malevolent, reprehensible, scummy, hate-mongering, war-mongering, schadenfreudian, racist, misogynist, homophobic, rapist, child-raping, child-murdering, destructive, megalomaniacal, narcissistic, corrupt and fucking deranged and just plain cuckoo-crazy-mad as a rabid badger in a small hot box. Let's face it: he's a horrid human without humanity and wholly undeserving of holding the highest office in our land, and his squatting in and befouling of the White House is an obscenity.

So I am indeed sorry -- not meaning to pick on you in particular. It's just that fat-shaming is just wrong, and using THAT as THE main insult to describe him is simply inadequate besides, yet so very many many many people do it as if that were what matters, and I've just grown really effing tired of it.

Carol Christ's avatar

If they ever do, he won’t go quietly. They will probably need a straight jacket. His immunity prevents an arrest.

Liz R's avatar

He’s not immune to everything!! The SCOTUS decision gave him immunity while attending to HIS OFFICIAL DUTIES. Much of what he does has nothing to do with official duties.

Floofie Snapz Back!'s avatar

HEAR! HEAR! Excellent point! Let's demand that this distinction be deployed NOW to oust him and preserve us from further ratfuckery & batshittery.

Jude's avatar

Are you the same Carol Christ who authored Goddess and God in the World: Conversations in Embodied Theology and other wonderful books?

Carol Christ's avatar

Nope that isn’t me. But I know who she is.

Jude's avatar

OK, thanks for letting me know. :-)

Robot Bender's avatar

His niece Mary says that if he thinks he's going down, he'll try to take everyone else with him. I believe her.

Geri D's avatar

Congress and the Supreme Court have let us down big time. When did one deranged president become more important than every American? I really would love to see a wave of congress and SC judges do the RIGHT thing. The right thing for the majority of Americans.

Teresa Barry's avatar

Sad thing is his successor is as bad or worse!

Jeanne C's avatar

Did you mean successor?

Teresa Barry's avatar

Yes that’s what I get for walking and typing!

John Kloc's avatar

Are you talking about Trumps first term?

KathrynW's avatar

Wow! That was powerful, Adam. Please, let the VP and all the presidents' men read your essay and take it to heart.

Roger D. Hess's avatar

I agree Kathryn! The man in the oval office is unhinged and has been for a long-LONG time.

Michele Clark's avatar

Thank you for this and your courage.