Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Concerns Over Trump's Mental Health No Longer Just Fodder For Late Night TV Hosts
When聽Republican Sen. Bob Corker said last week 聽that President Trump hasn't "been able to demonstrate the stability" needed for success聽and recommended he聽"move way beyond himself," it was news mostly because Corker has been one of Trump's key supporters in Congress.聽Then James Clapper, who served in top intelligence jobs under聽former Presidents George W. Bush and Barack Obama, Wednesday morning聽questioned Trump's "fitness to be in this office" and said he was worried about the president's聽access to the nuclear codes. Clapper, who had a long military career, is a close friend and longtime colleague of聽Trump's Defense Secretary, Jim聽Mattis, a former聽Marine Corps general. (O'Donnell, 8/23)
Being the leader of the Free World is no doubt one of the most stressful jobs possible, but how much聽stress affects President Trump is open to debate. Still, psychiatrists including Bandy Lee, editor of the upcoming book The Dangerous Case of Donald Trump, worry about how Trump responds to what are likely stressful crises with fiery rhetoric that could provoke violence. (O'Donnell, 8/23)
California Democrats are stoking a debate over Donald Trump鈥檚 mental health and fitness for office, opening a new front in the resistance to the president but raising fears that the line of criticism could backfire. As early talk of impeachment wanes and questions about Trump鈥檚 stability have surfaced after his volatile responses to the violence in Charlottesville 鈥� most recently by GOP Sen. Bob Corker and former Director of National Intelligence James Clapper 鈥� California鈥檚 Democratic House delegation has seized on an issue that until recently was limited to the Internet fever swamps. (Marinucci, 8/23)