Rep. Jamie Raskin catalogues a long list of indications that Trump is failing mentally. Unfortunately we still have to take Trump seriously as he controls the capability to destroy us all. T

The Hill

House

Raskin asks White House physician for ‘comprehensive cognitive assessment’ of Trump

by Mike Lillis - 04/10/26 3:21 PM ET

Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-Md.) on Friday pressed the White House physician for a full evaluation of President Trump’s cognitive abilities. 

In a letter to Sean Barbabella, a Navy captain serving as Trump’s official doctor, Raskin argued that Trump’s words and actions in recent months — particularly those surrounding the Iran war — have raised enough questions about the president’s mental acuity to merit a “comprehensive cognitive assessment.” Raskin wants the results shared publicly.

“Experts have repeatedly warned that the President has been exhibiting signs consistent with dementia and cognitive decline. And, in recent days, the country has watched President Trump’s public statements and outbursts turn increasingly incoherent, volatile, profane, deranged, and threatening,” wrote Raskin, the senior Democrat on the House Judiciary Committee. 

“His apparently deteriorating condition has caused tremendous alarm across the nation (and political spectrum) about the President’s cognitive function and continuing mental fitness for the office of President, and prompted concerns about the President’s wellbeing.”

Trump rose to the White House a decade ago largely by creating a political brand that shunned convention and an impulsive communication style — revolving around social media posts delivered at all hours of the day and night — that was unprecedented. Some of those messages dabbled in racist and antisemitic themes. Still, his unorthodox approach appealed to voters disenchanted with the status quo in Washington, and it was rewarded with two presidential victories.

In recent months, Trump has turned it up a notch. After launching joint strikes with Israel against Iran in late February, he has threatened to destroy civilian infrastructure, a war crime under international law, and bomb the country “back to the Stone Ages.” 

“Open the F‑‑‑in’ Strait, you crazy bastards, or you’ll be living in Hell – JUST WATCH! Praise be to Allah,” Trump posted on his Truth Social account this past week. 

More recently, he warned that the entire population might be wiped out if Iran’s leaders didn’t open the Strait of Hormuz. 

“A whole civilization will die tonight, never to be brought back again,” he posted Tuesday. “I don’t want that to happen, but it probably will.” 

The string of bellicose messages has sparked a new effort among Democrats to remove Trump from office, either through impeachment or the 25th Amendment, which empowers members of the executive Cabinet to remove a president if he is deemed unfit for office. 

Raskin raised the question of fitness in pressing Barbabella for a cognitive examination of the president. 

“At a time when our country is at war—especially when the war was initiated by the President without congressional declaration or consent—the American people must be able to trust that the Commander-in-Chief has the mental capacity to discharge the essential duties of his office,” Raskin wrote. 

The White House quickly dismissed the request, saying Trump is as sharp as ever while accusing Democrats of covering up the mental decline of former President Biden. 

“Lightweight Jamie Raskin is a stupid person’s idea of a smart person,” White House spokesperson Davis Ingle said in an email. “President Trump’s sharpness, unmatched energy, and historic accessibility stand in stark contrast to what we saw during the past four years when Democrats like Raskin intentionally covered up Joe Biden’s serious mental and physical decline from the American people.” 

Raskin addressed the issue of Biden’s decline, saying the outcry from Republicans at the time is now reason for them to support a mental acuity test for Trump. 

“Republicans and Democrats alike have recognized that presidential cognitive fitness is a matter of urgent and essential public concern and that it warrants rigorous congressional oversight,” Raskin wrote. 

“Calling former President Joe Biden’s mental acuity ‘one of the greatest scandals in our nation’s history,’ Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer actually subpoenaed the White House physician and issued a comprehensive staff report on the subject. Judiciary Committee Chairman [Jim] Jordan declared that a president who is not cognitively fit ‘isn’t fit for office.’ 

“I trust that both Chairmen will stand by this important principle today with the country in an uproar over the President’s recent fulminations and mad threats.”

Raskin has asked that the cognitive test be conducted before April 25 and the results released to the public. He also wants Barbabella to testify before Congress on the findings.

Emily Brooks contributed. 

https://thehill.com/homenews/house/5826129-raskin-presses-trump-fitness/