A leading forensic and social psychiatrist has issued a stark warning over Donald Trump's mental state, comparing the US President's recent outbursts to those of a "helpless toddler". Dr Bandy Lee, who previously taught at Harvard and Yale, claimed the 80-year-old leader is becoming increasingly "unstable" as public scrutiny over his age and health grows.
Ground Zero claim sparks backlash
The assessment follows fierce backlash over the president falsely claiming firefighters had to carry him away from Ground Zero shortly after the 9/11 terror attacks. Mr Trump later backtracked on Truth Social, admitting he was not there on the day of the collapse, but insisted his statements were "exactly accurate".
Dr Lee argued that the bizarre tall tale points to a deeper psychological issue. "The degree to which he needs to do that for every significant event in national history... all of this goes back to just how fragile he is in his sense of self," Dr Lee said, speaking to MeidasTouch.
'Abnormal and pathological'
"This is normally what toddlers do. They have to be king or queen or ruler of the universe in order to fight the feeling that they are quite helpless and dependent on others' care," she said. "But of course that's normal for a two or three-year-old. It is abnormal and pathological when it involves a fully grown adult."
Dr Lee, who edited the 2017 book The Dangerous Case of Donald Trump and joined 35 other medical professionals in calling for his removal under the 25th Amendment, also raised alarms over Mr Trump's erratic social media posts, including memes depicting him launching nuclear weapons.
Nuclear warning
She warned: "The extremely dangerous situation in which we find ourselves is that... there's no way to countermand the command of a nuclear weapon. [He is] an incredibly mentally unstable individual who's become far more unstable with time, with more power he's given and the less he is constrained."
The psychiatrist's comments come amid mounting public interest in the President's physical and cognitive state, sparked by recent instances of daytime drowsiness, hand bruising, and swollen ankles. A recent YouGov poll revealed 48% of Americans believe their leader has suffered a modest or significant mental or physical decline.
White House response
The White House has hit back at the claims, accusing critics of political bias. White House spokesman Davis Ingle declared, "If it quacks like a duck, it may actually just be a Democrat hack doctor [...] President Trump is the sharpest, most accessible, and energetic president in American history and any so-called medical professionals engaging in armchair diagnosis or false speculation for political purposes are clearly breaking the Hippocratic Oath they've sworn to."
Officials attributed the bruising on Mr Trump's hands to frequent handshaking and stated his ankle swelling was caused by chronic venous insufficiency. The president himself has repeatedly insisted he remains in peak condition, boasting following a recent physical that "everything" had "checked out PERFECTLY".
