Assess whether Donald Trump is mentally fit for office

We petition the Vice President and the Cabinet to take actions immediately to assess whether Donald Trump is mentally fit for office.
The behavior of Donald Trump during the campaign and after his election has raised concerns in many people, including mental health professionals and media journalists. Government officials and Americans of all political stripes must consider whether we may now have as President a man with a serious mental disorder. If so, what could be the risks to the country and the world, and what should be done to avoid these risks? Readers should type control/click to hyperlink to sources and references.
Background
Three professors of psychiatry sent a letter to Barak Obama before he left office questioning Trump’s mental fitness and strongly recommending that the president-elect receive a full medical and neuropsychiatric evaluation by an impartial team of investigators before taking office

A number of reputable journalists, newspapers and magazines have also described their concerns about the manifestations of a mental disorder in Donald Trump and the risks it poses. Richard Greene in the Huffington Post states that “Virtually every mental health professional I interviewed told me that they believed, with 100% certainty, that Mr. Trump satisfied the DSM criteria of this incurable illness (narcissistic personality disorder) and that, as a result, he is a serious danger to the country and the world.”

Many of these mental health professionals stated that they believed that Donald Trump displayed symptoms of a Narcissistic personality disorder:
• React to criticism with rage, shame, or humiliation
• Take advantage of other people to achieve one’s own goals
• Have excessive feelings of self-importance
• Exaggerate achievements and talents
• Be preoccupied with fantasies of success, power, beauty, intelligence, or ideal love
• Have unreasonable expectations of favorable treatment
• Need constant attention and admiration
• Disregard the feelings of others, and have little ability to feel empathy
• Have obsessive self-interest
• Pursue mainly selfish goals

If linked to an anti-social personality disorder (sociopath), the person, if thwarted, may exhibit poor judgement and impulsive, vindictive, and even destructive, behavior.

The American Psychiatric Association incorporated into its code of ethics what has been called the Goldwater rule, which states it is unethical for psychiatrists to give a professional opinion about public figures they have not examined in person. Moreover, the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5®), states that unless a person if feeling distress or cannot function, the person cannot be said to have a mental illness.
Despite the appropriateness of the rule for psychiatrists, it does not follow that other people, including journalists, cannot raise issues about the President’s mental health if it seems to pose serious risks for the country. A President with a mental disorder may not agree to undergo a psychiatric evaluation. Moreover, many might not agree with the DSM that a person with a mental disorder must feel distress before a diagnosis of mental illness can be made. There are serial killers and pedophiles who have felt no distress or remorse for their actions, nor sought psychiatric help. Many people with mental disorders cause great distress in their families and community, even if they feel no distress themselves. Many world leaders have exhibited narcissistic traits, but not necessarily had Narcissistic Personality Disorders. There is probably a continuum from narcissism to narcissistic personality disorder. Where might Trump fit on this continuum?

This is not always a minor neurosis. Given that he is now President of the United States, could such a disorder pose existential threats to the country’s civil rights and economy? Most importantly, could he make misjudgments that could lead the destruction of international institutions and shared programs and values that have developed since World War 2? Could the threat of new wars, and even nuclear war, increase greatly?

If he develops a paranoia because of constant criticism, could he try to take actions against those who are criticizing him most, e.g. claiming that “liberals” or “the media” are the basis for anything he perceives as wrong with the country and that they need to be “dealt with”, the new scapegoat. Could he gather large crowds, calling for action to be taken against them. Unthinkable? One need only look and the rise of current autocrats in Russia, Hungary, Turkey, Egypt and the Philippines, and of course, Hitler, Mussolini, Franco and Salazar in the 1930’s to see the pattern and how fast it can occur.

Would Trump’s behavior have to be manifestly worse before the Republican leaders act? The public must demand that this problem receives attention immediately. There should be confidential meetings between the leaders of one, hopefully the two parties, to determine if there was a consensus about the need for action.
If a consensus developed that Donald Trump had a significant mental disorder, leaders in the government would have to decide if Trump should be removed from office. There is only one legal way for this to occur. Section 4 of the 25th Amendment to the Constitution details the process for removing a president from power if the vice president and a majority of the cabinet believe the president to be mentally incapacitated or unbalanced.
The human race has evolved over millions of years; the country is 240 years old. The big question will become: how long can one wait before things get out of hand and very serious damage is done to the country and the world, even nuclear war. How much are we willing to risk, and for how long? The answer should be relatively straightforward, but politics can be a terrible taskmaster.
Thank you,
David Nicholas
Stanley Scheyer
Stephen C Joseph