Donald Trump’s mental state called into question as Democrats demand White House evaluation after Iran threats

The top Democrat on a key congressional oversight committee is calling on the White House physician to immediately perform a comprehensive cognitive assessment of Donald Trump following the president’s threats to destroy Iranian civilization.In his letter, Rep. Jamie Raskin urged White House Physician Captain Sean Barbabella to share the results with members of Congress, citing growing number of warnings that the president “has been exhibiting signs consistent with dementia and cognitive decline” with outbursts and statements that have turned “increasingly incoherent, volatile, profane, deranged, and threatening.”“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,” Raskin wrote.The top Democrat on the House Judiciary Committee pointed to the president’s profane Easter threats to Iran, followed by his warning that “a whole civilization will die tonight” if the regime did not agree to a conditional ceasefire in the U.S. war. He also pointed to the president’s remarks at an Easter event at the White House, where he “delivered a disjointed and graphic account of military operations — including bombing missions and hostage rescues — to an audience of young children.”Raskin’s letter follows bipartisan scrutiny, including from prominent right-wing figures who supported the president’s campaign, with growing demands from Democratic lawmakers and some former Trump allies for the administration to invoke the 25th Amendment and declare him unfit for office.The White House, which routinely alleges former President Joe Biden experienced significant mental decline, does not appear to be moved by Raskin’s letter.A spokesman hailed the 79-year-old president’s “sharpness” and “unmatched energy.”“Lightweight Jamie Raskin is a stupid person’s idea of a smart person,” White House spokesman Davis Ingle told The Independent. “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 covered up Joe Biden’s serious mental and physical decline from the American people,” he said.Democrats have similarly accused the White House of hiding Trump’s alleged decline after the president, the oldest American to be sworn into the executive office, faced a series of health conditions that raised questions about his overall health.The president has been diagnosed with chronic venous insufficiency, a fairly common condition among older adults that can cause swelling in the legs, has also routinely sported a bruised hand, typically covered in unblended concealer makeup.Barbabella said in a memo last year that the president is in “excellent health.”Andrew Feinberg contributed reporting from Washington, D.C.