A group of doctors wrote an urgent letter to the White House chief physician urging him to conduct basic mental health examinations on the President to ensure his and the country's well-being.
It is unclear whether the examinations were made but the doctor announced that the president is in "excellent shape" after the said examinations.
An Urgent Letter To Rear Admiral Jackson
In the letter, the group of doctors that include psychiatrists, psychologists, and therapists among others, advised Dr. Ronny Jackson to conduct the President's physical examination as per the standard procedure for patient 66 years old and above. This means that the physical on the 71-year-old President must include neurological, mental, and cognitive health tests, basic tests that are given to millions of Americans covered by Medicare.
Increasing Concerns
The doctors state that there has been increasing concerns over the President's well-being especially with their observations of indications such as rambling speech, slurred speech, frequent repetition of the same concepts, inability to recognize old friends, impulse control problems, and declining vocabulary. As such, they recommend the doctor to conduct basic dementia screenings as a part of his duty to the President and to the country.
It's worth noting that presidents are not required to undergo physical or medical check-ups, as it is an entirely voluntary examination. Though the letter does not specifically state where their concerns are coming from, they do state that it is important for Americans to be aware of their President's health and well-being.
The concerns, perhaps, are compounded by a recently published controversial book which opened questions regarding the White House as well as the President's stability, a notion that had the President tweeting in defense of his mental health.
....Actually, throughout my life, my two greatest assets have been mental stability and being, like, really smart. Crooked Hillary Clinton also played these cards very hard and, as everyone knows, went down in flames. I went from VERY successful businessman, to top T.V. Star.....
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 6, 2018
Not A New Concern
The doctors' concerns are not new. In fact, in February of 2017, a group of mental health professionals also made their concerns known through a petition wherein they called for the removal of President Trump from office for exhibiting signs of a serious mental illness, making him incapable of carrying out his duties as the President.
However, despite the support that the petition garnered, other mental health professionals cautioned their colleagues on diagnosing the President based on television appearances or Twitter account without the proper procedure. They stated then that labeling the President as "crazy" negatively adds to the stigma that prevents people from seeking for mental health treatments.
What's more, they also state that labeling people who make morally questionable decisions with a mental illness trivialize the seriousness of their actions and its consequences.
As of now, the chief physician has declared that the President is in "excellent condition" and is expected to give a more detailed assessment of the President's health. Whether he followed the advice of the doctors and exactly which test results he will and will not make known to the public remains to be seen.
