Closest Allies and Far-Right Republicans Question Whether Trump Is ‘Mentally Fully There’
Former President Donald Trump's mental decline has been a concern among many of his supporters, a journalist revealed.
Concerns over whether Trump is "fully there mentally" have been voiced by those closest to him, journalist Jonathan Karl said recently on MSNBC. Karl is the author of Front Row at the Trump Show, a book detailing insider knowledge of the former president's activities and inaction on January 6, 2021, per Raw Story.
Karl has noted previously that even Trump's most ardent supporters on the far-right Republicans expressed grave doubts about Donald Trump's capacity to govern. Both former Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo have refuted the allegations, but Karl pointed out that sworn testimony certifies the existence of the talks.
Karl spoke on MSNBC's The Reidout about how his former senior cabinet officials assessed the leading conservative candidate's chances of winning the presidency again in 2025. “The people who have raised the alarms about what it could be if he comes back are the people closest to him.” Karl further remarked, “They didn't go very far. As you started to have people resign from the cabinet, fewer people would have voted for it.”
In his book Betrayal, Karl recounted the last days of the former president's presidency, per Rolling Stone. He gathered proof that Mike Pompeo and Steve Mnuchin had discussed an elaborate strategy to remove Trump from office following the uprising on January 6. On the evening of January 6, it was reported that then-Treasury Secretary Mnuchin called then-Secretary of State Pompeo to propose that the 25th Amendment be used, which specifies the procedures for replacing the president or vice president in the event of their demise, removal from office, resignation, or incapacitation.
“I learned that Mnuchin had several conversations about the 25th Amendment and, further, that Mike Pompeo asked for a legal analysis of the 25th Amendment and how it would work,” Karl said during an appearance on MSNBC in November 2021.
The following day, Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos and Secretary of Transportation Elaine Chao resigned, so the proposal was “quickly jettisoned.” Mnuchin realized that relying on the Constitution to remove Trump from office would be time-consuming and almost certainly run into legal issues.
“It would not be quick enough and it would be subject to legal challenges,” Karl said, explaining why the plan was abandoned. “But in the hours after the riot, there were high-level conversations about this.”
Karl claimed that his sources for the report are "rock solid," even though Pompeo denied having any discussions on the 25th Amendment in a statement provided by a spokeswoman. Karl went on to say that despite his repeated efforts, neither Mnuchin nor Pompeo would agree to talk with him to verify the allegation.
