Democrats demand Trump undergo cognitive assessment after ‘disturbing’ rhetoric on Iran war

A top House Democrat on Friday urged the White House physician to conduct a cognitive assessment on President Donald Trump and report his findings to Congress, citing what he called Trump’s “disturbing” public statements on the Iran war.

The move comes as Democrats and some former allies of the president criticize his handling of the monthlong war with Iran. Congressional Democrats are also preparing to discuss whether to invoke the 25th Amendment to remove him from office.

Trump drew further criticism last week after setting a Tuesday deadline for negotiations with Iran and threatening to expand the U.S. campaign to target civilian infrastructure, including bridges and power plants. On Easter Sunday, he demanded that Tehran lift its blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, a vital route for Middle East oil and natural gas shipments.

Hours before his deadline expired, Trump warned on social media Tuesday morning that “a whole civilization will die tonight” if Iran refused to negotiate.

The president ultimately backed away from his threat and agreed to a two-week ceasefire with Iran. But his remarks drew criticism from Democrats and some conservatives, who questioned his fitness for office.

In a Friday letter to White House physician Sean Barbarella, reviewed by Courthouse News, Maryland Representative Jamie Raskin cited Trump’s rhetoric and the reaction to it in urging the president’s doctor to conduct a “comprehensive” cognitive evaluation.

“[I]n recent days, the country has watched President Trump’s public statements and outbursts turn increasingly incoherent, volatile, profane, deranged and threatening,” wrote Raskin, the top Democrat on the House Judiciary Committee. “His apparently deteriorating condition has caused tremendous alarm across the nation … about the President’s cognitive function and continuing mental fitness for the office of President, and prompted concerns about the President’s well-being.”

Pointing to Trump’s “whole civilization” comments, the Maryland congressman argued the president’s rhetoric on the Iran war raised “unsettling questions” about his mental state. He also cited the president’s appearance at the White House’s annual Easter Egg Roll, during which the lawmaker said he described “bombing missions, downed fighter jets and rescue operations to an audience of small children.”

“This is plainly out of the realm of normal politics,” wrote Raskin. “When the President of the United States threatens to extinguish a civilization on social media, rants about combat missions with children at the Easter Egg Roll, and drops profane tirades on Easter morning, we have indisputably entered the realm of profound medical difficulty and concern.”

In addition to asking Barbarella to conduct a cognitive assessment of Trump and publicly release the results, the congressman demanded that the White House physician testify under oath before Congress.

“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,” said Raskin.

In a statement to Courthouse News, White House spokesperson Davis Ingle called Raskin “a stupid person’s idea of a smart person” and compared Trump’s mental acuity to that of former President Joe Biden, who also faced questions, mainly from Republicans, about his fitness for office.

“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,” said Ingle.

It wasn’t just Democrats who criticized Trump over his rhetoric on Iran this week.

Former Fox News host Tucker Carlson said Trump’s comments on Iran were “vile on every level.” Megyn Kelly, another former Fox personality and host of The Megyn Kelly Show, said she was “sick” of the president’s remarks.

“You don’t threaten to wipe out an entire civilization,” she said. “We’re talking about civilians, just casually in a social media post.”

Former Georgia Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene, a one-time ally of the president, called for his removal using the 25th Amendment, joining dozens of congressional Democrats in calling for his ouster.

Raskin is expected to brief members of the House Democratic caucus on Friday afternoon about their options for removing Trump from office, including through the 25th Amendment.

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