What we have in this latest 4AM outburst is not just another episode concerning for a disabling medical or psychiatric disorder. This time the delusional content leads inexorably to very real world prospect of harm to self and others. Trump is accusing Obama, and the extensive conspiracy of law enforcement and security agenices who would have to have carried out his orders, of crimes both way too serious to be ignored, and very clear cut and easily discoverable by actions well within his power as president.
This time the delusional content is not something ridiculous but without practical consequence, like the millions who attended his inauguration. The worst that could come from that delusion would be an investigation of the National Park Service for failure to accurately estimate and report crowd size. That’s not good, but follow up on that, or failure to follow up on that, would be so trivial as to pass beneath notice.
This time the delusional content is both ridiculous, and has clear cut, serious consequences. At this point, Trump either admits that he was just making this all up, that he has some sort of medical or psychiatric problem that creates these 4AM outbursts, or he takes real world steps based on this delusional content being real. If the former, he has to resign, so that plan is not going to be implemented, he’s not going to back down. So we’re going to have to see the second plan put into effect.
Comey understands the implications. He is going to have to be accused of participating in this conspiracy that Trump imagines, because Obama obviously didn’t implement the wiretap himself. Let’s try to keep up with at least effing Comey in our acknowledgement of reality.
What We Should Do About ItThe D response should be very simple. Trump produces evidence within 24 hours, starts arresting the obviously dangerous participants in this massive conspiracy, or the D leadership in both chambers introduce bills to set up the commission, provided for in the 25th Amendment, to look into Trump’s medical and psychiatric fitness to hold office.
Up until now, it may not have been politically wise for our side to take the lead in questioning the president’s mental health, for two reasons.
For the 25th Amendment process to succeed, 2/3 of both chambers have to be prepared to vote that the president is unfit. It may not come to such a vote, but only the prospect that the votes are there for removal is going to get Trump to resign. And the process will never get started unless there is some prospect of getting 2/3, because no one wants to shoot at the king and miss. This is going to have to be done by Rs, their leadership and at least 1/6 of their membership, and having Ds start the process by putting in bills calling for a medical commission might actually make it even less palatable for enough Rs to pull this trigger.
But even if it were best for the prospects of success for Rs to be the first to propose the medical commission, it almost certainly is not in our side’s immediate and short-term interests to replace Trump with Pence. Pence may be no genius, he may have zero charisma, but he clearly would take direction from party and movement handlers way better than Trump ever will. Having the R trifecta under competent management for the next two years is a far from trivial downside.
But whatever prospect there may have ever been that a Trump presidency would be good for our side because having a mentally incompetent person in charge hobbles their ability to get bad things done, is now disappearing. It’s one thing for Trump, on a regular basis, to rage tweet at 4AM delusional content that is harmless and beside any practical point. That’s a good R presidency if you’re a D. That’s an R presidency that keeps their side form doiig much harm. My point, and please, let’s not be less willing to face reality than effing Comey on this, is that this latest rage tweet crosses a line into real world danger.
Unless you can tell me how this ends without Trump either being escorted out of the WH by psych techs, or Obama and Comey and dozens of others arrested, I think we have to set aside the ususal political calculations. It’s time for our side’s leadership to just say what needs to be said, Trump is a sick man who needs to be removed from office right now, no waiting until the next election, as a danger to self and others.