This is not normal. It’s time to wake up to the fact that Donald John Trump is not well. The 47th President of the United States of America needs an intervention. If his family doesn’t do it, then it’s time to start a discussion about the 25th Amendment.
It’s hard to pinpoint the most outrageous thing Trump uttered over the past week, but a strong candidate was his rejoinder to a plea for civility from Erika Kirk during a memorial service for her assassinated husband.
After declaring she forgave accused gunman Tyler Robinson, Kirk declared:
"The answer to hate is not hate. The answer we know from the gospel is love and always love. Love for our enemies and love for those who persecute us."
If Kirk took the high road, Trump, as usual, went low:
“He did not hate his opponents, he wanted the best for them. That’s where I disagreed with Charlie. I hate my opponent and I don’t want the best for them. Sorry Erika.”
Trump has never claimed to be a uniter, casting his lot only with those who voted for him. The son of a millionaire real estate owner, he has what can charitably be called an inferiority complex. To assuage that feeling of inadequacy, he decided to fashion himself as the hero of working class men and women left behind by globalization.
Despite the absurdity of a billionaire being an everyday guy who puts on a uniform and clocks into a job, millions of Americans have bought into his claim of being their retribution.
The MAGA movement has been successful so far in exploiting Kirk’s assassination. But questions still remain whether the fervor of the Christian Right, united in what might be called an unholy crusade, will be enough to counteract the demeaning, erratic and often blatantly illegal behavior of someone many believe is their savior.
Trump, whose expertise in obstetrics and gynecology is limited to grabbing women's private parts, took to the White House podium on Monday to lecture women on the use of a common pain reliever whose generic name he couldn’t even pronounce:
“Effectively immediately the FDA will be notifying physicians that the use of … acetaminophen, which is basically known as Tylenol, during pregnancy can be associated with a very increased risk of autism,” Trump said. “So taking Tylenol is not good,” adding they should “tough it out.”
Advice directly contradicting real doctors, who say the alternatives, aspirin and ibuprofen, present even greater health risks than some occasional use of Tylenol.
“The Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine reiterates its recommendation advising both physicians and patients that acetaminophen is an appropriate medication to treat pain and fever during pregnancy,” the group said in a statement. It added that it supports “continued research that includes pregnant patients to understand the potential causes of neuro-developmental disabilities in children.”
Dr. Trump’s medical advice comes after the twice-impeached, four-times indicted, convicted on 34 counts of criminal fraud and found civilly liable for fraud and sexual abuse touted his credentials as a constitutional scholar:
“When 97 percent of the stories are bad about a person, it’s no longer free speech,” adding, “They’ll take a great story and they’ll make it bad. See, I think that’s really illegal.”
This followed his demand that Attorney General Pam Bondi indict political opponents like California Senator Adam Schiff, former FBI Director James Comey and New York State Attorney General Leticia James for mortgage fraud. Even if there is no evidence to back it up.
Meanwhile, he believes protesters outside a Washington DC restaurant where he staged a phony, er, photo op, should be charged under the Racketeer Influenced Corrupt Organization law. You know, the one used against mobsters like the ones Trump interacted with as a New York City real estate developer and New Jersey casino owner.
Peter Baker of the New York Times summed it up well:
“For him, it’s not about hate speech, but about speech that he hates — namely, speech that is critical of him and his administration.”
But regime officials suspected of taking cash bribes in exchange for government contracts? No problem.
I’m not a psychiatrist and I don’t play one on Substack but to me this all adds up to someone who is a few clubs short of a full golf bag, drunk on power with no sense of right or wrong.
And there is a remedy for that under the Constitution that he tries to violate daily:
“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.”
Of course, neither JD Vance nor the faux patriots in his cabinet or Congress have the backbone to invoke the 25th Amendment. Which means Trump will continue to behave like a runaway train until the 2026 midterm elections. Assuming they will be fair.
Not that Vance is a great alternative.
But there is a potential bright spot. Even if his bad behavior doesn’t make a difference the price of groceries, which he promised to bring down, just might do in Republican chances.
What’s next? Leeches to draw blood? All aboard for a return to medieval medicine!