Yale psychiatrist received 2017 call from White House staffers, who were concerned about signs of Trump's "mental instability" while serving in the Oval Office

Donald Trump and Dr. Bandy Lee

 

White House staff members called a Yale University psychiatrist in 2017 over concerns about Donald Trump's mental health while he was serving as president, according to a report at DailyExpressUS. (The newspaper is is known as The Daily Express in London, where it is based.) Under the headline "Concerned White House staff 'called psychiatrist about Trump's 'mental instability' in 2017,"  reporter Charlie Bradley writes:

A top psychiatrist says she received a phone call from White House staff who were worried about Donald Trump's mental health, in an exclusive interview with Daily Express US.

In recent weeks, Trump's mental well-being has become a topic of political debate as he and Nikki Haley clash in the race to become the Republican Party nominee.

Haley has suggested that Trump may not be fit for office. The former President claims he has taken a mental fitness test and "aced it."

Dr Bandy Lee, a psychiatrist formerly of Yale University, edited a book called The Dangerous Case of Donald Trump, which was published in 2017.

In it, 27 psychiatrists, psychologists, and other mental-health professionals wrote essays explaining their concerns that Trump is mentally unfit for office.

Experts argued in the book that Trump is "too mentally unstable" for office.

Since then, Lee has met with members of Congress about Trump's lack of fitness to serve in public office. Bradley writes;

Dr Lee tells Daily Express US that, in late 2017, she received a warning from White House staff that Trump was showing signs of mental instability.

She said: "While I was meeting with Congress members, there was one Republican who was willing to meet with us and her office agreed to meet.

"We were discussing the situation with the Congress members, but the Congresswoman entered the office and then said she wasn't willing to talk about it.

"Two people from the White House reached out to me in late 2017 with concerns about Trump. They were calling because of the book I edited.

"I unfortunately at the time had to refer them to the emergency room. At first, I wasn't sure whether they were actually calling from the White House. Secondly, I didn't want to become the President's treater.

Once I do a personal examination or personally get involved, I can no longer educate the public."

Dr Lee says she was concerned that getting directly involved would compromise her impartiality and therefore leave her unable to speak openly about her concerns regarding Trump's mental health.

She continued: "The emergency room didn't do anything. Later, when I called back the number they called from it was indeed the White House.

"When I called the emergency room, they said they were not concerned about the issue.

"It came out later that White House Chief of Staff at the time, John Kelly, bought my book and shared it with staff and may even have used it to prevent nuclear war with North Korea."

Bradley concludes by noting Trump's strength in winning recent primary elections, along with Haley's determination to continue her campaign, drawing an angry response from Trump. Writes Bradley;

Trump looks likely to win the Republican nomination after securing victories in the Iowa caucuses and New Hampshire primary. Haley says she will continue campaigning as the race heads to South Carolina.