SATURDAY, APRIL 18, 2026
This is the gamble we've chosen: It's as we noted in this week's reports:
In Tuesday's front-page overview for the New York Times, Peter Baker quoted recent comments about President Trump's "mental health"—comments about the president's "psychological fitness."
Baker quoted a large number of elected officials, podcasters and lawyers. But he didn't quote any remarks by any medical specialists—by any "mental health professionals."
Similarly, Lawrence O'Donnell reminisced on several occasions this week about his past interviews with such medical specialists on his Last Word program.
That said, those interviews, infrequent and limited as they were, took place during the president's first term—from 2017 on through January 2021. O'Donnell conducted no interviews with medical specialists on this week's Last Word programs.
Even now, in the face of the growing concerns reported by Baker, it seems that O'Donnell no longer conducts such interviews. As he reminisced this week about past interviews, he didn't explain why that it is.
Where have all the medical specialists gone? Why didn't Baker quote any such observers? Why didn't O'Donnell quote such current observers? Why doesn't O'Donnell conduct such interviews at this point in time?
We can't answer those very good questions. We'll offer these speculations:
It could be that the president's various lawsuits have convinced news orgs like MS NOW that such interviews can no longer take place. It may also be that medical specialists—some, though plainly not all—have become reluctant to offer assessments about the president's mental health or about his possible cognitive decline.
It may be that an org like the New York Times is also gripped by such concerns. It may be that Baker wanted to quote such medical specialists as Mary Trump and Dr. Vin Gupta (among several others), but editors refused to let that occur.
Is something (seriously) wrong with President Trump? If so, that is of course a personal tragedy. But is something wrong with President Trump in a way which may be extremely dangerous, given his role in the world?
With regard to such important questions, Baker quoted the nutcase Alex Jones. He quoted no medical specialists!
For his part, O'Donnell played tape of what was said by a medical specialist in 2017 and in 2021. He didn't mention things which have been said by medical specialists in just the past few weeks.
We see no sign that these apparent blackout policies are going to change. All in all, it must be said:
All in all, for better or worse, this is the gamble we've chosen!
Starting Monday: A great deal remains to be said
Try thinking for a living, Bob.
BalasPadamDo you really expect the NY Times to expose themselves as the nation's leading publication, which spent a decade treating a person in obvious mental decline as a viable candidate for the President of the United States of America?
Maybe after that they can expose themselves for treating the existence of 5 trans student athletes like the world was ending, while oligarchs stole the Treasury.
Pope Leo called Trump soft on crime for his pardoning of the January 6th snowflakes.
BalasPadam👍
PadamBob would go to a 10 alarm fire and ask repeatedly why a firefighter wasn't weighing in on what was happening.
BalasPadamSomerby woulds see the names of all those Republican politicians in the Epstein Files, and spend a good six months or more discussing Trump's mental health status.
PadamDemocrats in Congress have called for a cognitive evaluation of the president and a report to the House. Somerby never mentions that. It is the first step toward use of Article 25 to remove the president for incompetence to do the job. It is as if Somerby doesn't know such efforts exist.
BalasPadamWhy would Somerby insist on public statements by specialists, reported by the media, when Raskin and the House are doing their job to evaluate the president's mental health? Does Somerby think the American people need to be informed of the president's cognitive deficits? The behavior itself, exhibited by President Trump, is already causing alarm, even among Trump's loyal followers. That is the point of Baker's essay. If Congress does move to remove Trump, the American people need to be mentally prepared for that event, and Baker is providing that preparation.
Remote diagnosis, aside from being disallowed by the ethics of psychiatrists and psychologists, will not be as convincing to the American public as the accounts of weirdness told by those who work closely with Trump. Their concerns take precedence over speculation that will seem biased or self-serving without corroboration. If and when Trump's own doctors provide an evaluation demanded by Congress, the concerns of Trump supporters will bolster those findings and action based upon them. Bandy Lee just sounds like a partisan Trump enemy. The concerns of Trump supporters about his behavior carry more weight.
But I don't believe Somerby really wants to see Trump removed from office. I don't believe he cares about protecting our nation from Trump's malfeasance. He has expressed few concerns about Trump's actual behavior and is advocating loudly for an ineffective approach to dealing with Trump's misbehavior. We have remedies in our Constitution. Instead, Somerby argues for an act that will do nothing to help this situation. Why? I see no good reason except that Somerby does not want things to improve -- he is trying to protect Trump's administration and Trump by advocating an ineffective measure that would mainly embarrass the Democrats and undermine the legitimate request for an evaluation by Trump's own doctors, followed by a report to Congress.
https://www.fox13seattle.com/news/25th-amendment-bill-raskin-trump-removal
PadamSome believe Raskin's proposal is a distraction from the correct remedy, which is to impeach and remove the president:
"Rep. Jamie Raskin, D-Md., together with 50 Democratic co-sponsors, has reintroduced his bill to create a “Commission on Presidential Capacity” under Section 4 of the 25th Amendment. It is being framed as a response to the crisis of a president who threatened to annihilate an entire civilization, who shares renderings of himself as Jesus Christ while feuding with the pope and who posts snuff videos on social media — to name the highlights from just the past couple of weeks.
In other words, the most powerful man in the world appears to be manifestly insane. It’s not great. But this proposal is misguided on the details, and more importantly, a distraction from what Congress can and should do: impeach Donald Trump and remove him from office.
This is not a new idea from Raskin. He first proposed essentially the same bill in 2017, and again in 2020 during Trump’s bout with Covid. I wrote about it at the time for the Cato Institute, and my objections have not changed. If anything, the current situation makes the flaws in this approach more glaring."
https://www.ms.now/opinion/trump-jamie-raskin-25th-amendment
Somerby has discussed neither of these approaches, which have been discussed by the mainstream press.
I have read medical specialists discussing Trump's deterioration in various press sources. Somerby seems to be playing a game in which he picks someone who is not talking about Trump's mental health and then claims that no one has been talking about it. That is a lie. Just because Baker didn't, doesn't mean no one has.
BalasPadamMeanwhile, the New York Times continues its attacks on Democrats. Every day there are stories about Democrats in disarray, the inability of Democrats to get our act together, the failure of one kind or another of Democrats to address its party's needs, etc etc etc. Somerby seems to not notice that the mainstream press is biased and not blue at all, but is carrying water for the right. This is what has happened during every national election but Somerby appears blind to it, while mislabeling the mainstream media as blue.
https://presswatchers.org/2024/10/new-york-times-opens-the-media-floodgates-on-stories-about-trumps-mental-unfitness/
PadamHere is a summary by AI of press discussion of Trump's mental health:
"Key Media Sources and Context (As of April 2026):
The New York Times: Has extensively covered the debate over Trump's mental fitness, with articles discussing "signs consistent with dementia and cognitive decline" and questioning his mental acuity, notes a report from PressWatchers.
CNN: Has highlighted moments where Trump appeared to doze off during meetings and reported on claims from critics regarding his mental sharpness.
The Washington Post: Reported on instances of Trump appearing to doze off during meetings and covered public discussions regarding his mental state.
The Independent: Reported on experts suggesting potential narcissism and a "lack of empathy" based on his social media posts.
The Hill: An opinion contributor discussed his "erratic conduct" and noted that concerns about his mental health are not just from political opponents, but also from those who once supported him.
New York Magazine: Noted reports of "erratic" behavior and online activity.
The Daily Beast/Other Outlets: Have published in-depth examinations from doctors regarding alleged "cognitive decline" and "paranoid behavior".
Key Contributors to the Narrative:
Medical/Psychological Experts: Various professionals have been cited, including Dr. John Gartner and Dr. Bandy Lee, discussing potential cognitive decline.
Political Figures: Several Democratic lawmakers, including Rep. Jamie Raskin, Sen. Chuck Schumer, and Rep. Ted Lieu, have publicly raised questions about his cognitive state.
Trump's Niece: Mary Trump, a clinical psychologist, has discussed his psychological traits.
Defenders of the President often push back against these claims, arguing that what critics describe as mental decline is actually a deliberate political strategy. "
If AI can find these discussions, why can't Somerby?
On the other hand, Somerby is doing a fantastic job distracting from the Epstein Files.
PadamEpstein is not the explanation for everything, child, but it does free you from thinking.
PadamThere’s a huge coverup involving the Epstein files, and Trump is right at the center of it, 3:38.
PadamSomerby never mentions Epstein either. That puts Somerby right there in the coverup.
Padam3:38,
PadamEpstein explains why Bob is focused on whether Trump, the self-admitted sexual predator who bigots elected President, is too fucked-up in the head to be the nation's leader.
Here is Katy Tur commenting on Trump's cognition in an offhand way. This kind of remark will help the public accept the idea that Trump is past it, when the wheels turn and Trump is finally removed from office:
BalasPadam"The great Big, Beautiful Bill also slashed taxes on millions of Americans," said Trump in the clip. "Small businesses, including restaurants, dry cleaners, corner stores. What is the corner store? I've never heard that term. I know what a corner store is, but I've never heard it described as a corner store. Who the hell wrote that? Please?"
"There is a corner store or bodega on almost every block in this city," said Tur. "Sometimes at both ends. They've been here forever. How does Donald Trump not know it? Could he possibly be that insulated, that out of touch? I guess it could be something else. A loss of memory, perhaps." [MS NOW]
Did Somerby call for "carefully selected" specialists to evaluate whether Biden was too old? I don't remember. I think he just called Biden too old, every chance he got, and pointed to the deep fakes without telling us they were fraudulent. I don't recall Somerby ever using the word gerontologist, much less quoting one about the differences between dementia and normal aging.
“A great deal remains to be said”
BalasPadamNot really.
Specialists said Biden was fine, but Somerby didn't believe them. Biden released his medical records and his White House doctor said his cognition was tested regularly and was fine. Somerby didn't believe him. Now Somerby calls for medical specialists to evaluate Trump. Why would he believe them?
BalasPadamDoes this kind of nonsense work politically? I suspect that it does. Nonsense trumps serious reality
BalasPadamThere's no realistic basis today to think Trump will be removed via impeachment or the 25th Amendment. So, why does this story exist?
It exists because it serves the Dems politically. And, IMO it works to a degree. Because the Dems own the media, Dem nonsense is given coverage comparable to the real, meaningful stuff Trump is dealing with. I predict that the Dems will do well in the midterm elections
Go take a flying fuck, dickhead. Go away and go play with your Nazi friends, asshole
PadamDems own the media? Tell that to Bari Weiss.
PadamI would also suggest telling that to Rupert Murdoch, and Jeff Bezos.
Padam“ Dem nonsense is given coverage comparable to the real, meaningful stuff Trump is dealing with.”
PadamUnbelievable. Dems are worrying about the fitness of the president, a serious matter, wouldn’t you say? And Trump posts pictures of himself as Jesus, attacks the pope, writes long multiple screeds throughout the night calling Tucker Carlson and Marjorie Greene low iq nut jobs, lying about the situation in Iran, engaging in massive corruption… yeah, meaningful stuff.
Oh, and “comparable coverage?” The war in Iran has dominated the news, and this one item is being reported on a little bit because it’s fairly important when the opposition party, who may win the midterms in the house, starts inquiring into the president’s mental fitness.
Padam@12:26 - I say Dems are not seriously discussing the fitness of the President. I say they are not serious, because they look at a tiny sample of the evidence. The bit that supports their desired view. A serious discussion would look at Trump's entire behavior as President. It would show reasonable actions reasonably fulfilling Presidential duties. . Pressers filled with reasonable answers, (as well as some nonsense.)
PadamThe discussions are unserious in a second sense -- Trump is not going to be removed. Would a majority of Trump's own Cabinet and VP vote to remove him? Give me a break.
Impeachment would require enough senators to break a filibuster. You know that's not going to happen.
Raskin’s bill would create a bipartisan commission to examine the president’s fitness. Seems like a reasonable step, given the number of voices, including your Host, Bob Somerby, and a growing number of right wingers, some who have had personal interactions with Trump, who worry about the president’s fitness.
PadamAgain explain the tariff policy, or the war in Iran (which ended and restarted for the eighth time), or most anything else he does and tell me his brains are not fried then scrambled. The party of stoopids.
Padam"Impeachment would require enough senators to break a filibuster."
PadamFilibuster? During impeachment? I don't think so.
A filibuster is a refusal to end debate on a matter before the Senate. Impeachment rules generally set limits on debate without the need of a cloture vote.
He means you need 60 votes to remove the president.
PadamGod Dickhead is so fucking stupid, as fascists be.
PadamThanks @7:56. That what I should have said. BTW I don’t think Senate Dems would remove Trump if they had enough Senators. Voting to remove him when he isn’t actually going to be removed is an easy symbolic gesture. Actually removing him is very different.
PadamDickhead, you are still wrong, you fascist bastard. Removal by the Senate takes 2/3 votes, 67 Senators.
PadamDavid in Cal,
PadamWe've been over this before.
Dems can't remove Trump from office, without the votes of a few Republicans, who believe treason against the United States of America is an impeachable offense.
We've all heard the whining from the Right that of course there are Republicans who actually believe treason is an impeachable offense, but unfortunately for people who want the child rapist impeached, none of them are Republican Senators.
To be fair to David, who doesn't want a serial rapist, pedophile, sexual assaulting, ignorant, sleepy time fool leading our country into a ditch?
Padam"It looks like Trump is getting Iran to give up its stores of enriched uranium and leave the Strait open."- DiC 12/17
BalasPadam"Iranian Gunboats Fire on Tankers in Strait of Hormuz as Tehran Reimposes Restrictions" - 12/18
DiC did say it sounded too good to be true. I assured him it was.
PadamDiC has spiked the ball at least half a dozen times since the infernal crusade began.
PadamI considered making my check for taxes due this year out to Donald Trump, rather than the treasury, since he’s asking the IRS to hand him ten billion dollars like the sack of shit he is.
BalasPadamsilly snark
PadamI’m completely serious.
PadamThe IRS should have accused Trump of being a child rapist. He never sues anyone that says that in public.
PadamI assume, due to "Discovery".
Some specialists speak out about trumps mental state:
BalasPadamhttps://www.theage.com.au/interactive/2026/trumps-state-of-mind/index.html
The State of Play
BalasPadamReporter: "Iranian embassy accounts are sharing an AI video of Jesus Christ kind of bloodily killing President Donald Trump. Does the Pentagon have a response to this, including the fact that this AI Jesus is casting Trump into Hell?"
Hegseth: "As far as a video like that, of course that's disgusting and detached from reality."
If only there was a just God.
PadamThe Economist provides a kind of taxonomy of the Democratic Party this week, drawn from interviews and surveys of 19,000 post-2024 Dems. The one thing that unites them is raising taxes on the super-rich and, of course, it’s the one thing that Schumer et al would never even begin to consider in a serious way. At the same time, they show broad support for the war in Ukraine. In other words, it remains a party hopelessly mired in its own internal contradictions.
BalasPadamhttps://www.economist.com/united-states/2026/04/07/meet-the-four-democratic-tribes
It's interesting how homogeneous and ideologically constrained Progressives are portrayed. I wonder why that may be?
This is a lie. The wealthy have received tax breaks
Padamsince 1981. Every year. Taking back some money is not raising taxes. It's justice.
Ukraine was attacked in 2014. Putin was the bad boy like Trump is now.
PadamYou ask as if you know the answer. Please tell us so that we may share in your wisdom.
PadamIt isn't clear from the data. It may be that Progressives are socially discouraged from any dissent within the group. That makes the most sense to me as it's demonstrably true. It's interesting the data shows they are the whitest group and also the most most uniformly aligned on racial issues. It's sad though that the party has not been able to follow through politically on what their voters most agree they want. Whaddya going to do? Amirite?
PadamThat's why some voters may be wary of Progressives who focus intensely and almost exclusively on Trump. What they say about him may be all true, but it's also a diversion from the inability of the leaders of the party to deliver.
PadamBiden was delivering.
PadamDelivering on what the party is most unified on wanting: raising taxes on the rich.
PadamBiden could have advocated rolling back Trump's tax cuts for the rich. I don't think he ever even mentioned it. Amirite?
PadamHey, but let's get back to our regularly scheduled program: Orange Man Bad!
PadamNo, you are wrong. Biden proposed increased taxes (38%) and his wealthy donors kicked him to the curb.
Padam" Taking back some money is not raising taxes. It's justice."
PadamThat seems to assume that all wealth belongs to the government. Any money we don't pay in taxes is a gift to us from the government. When they increase tax rates, they are not taking more money away from us; they're just giving us less money.
Yeah fuck you too , dickhead, racist bastard
PadamYeah fuck you too , dickhead, racist bastard
PadamHow's that deficit going you fucking idiot?
PadamHow's that deficit going you fucking idiot?
Padam"Biden proposed increased taxes (38%) and his wealthy donors kicked him to the curb"
PadamThat's not delivering, amirite?
Orange man bad. Morally and intellectually superior Dems corrupted and ineffective. Amirite? Aminot? Whaddya gonna do? Spend every waking moment online pretending like you really care about it or can do anything about it? womp womp
PadamYou participate in an illusion of political discussion and engagement. A manufactured, mediated distortion. It gives you the impression that you are really participating but all you are doing is competing to see which manufactured reality dominates the distortion. Nothing gets corrected. Nothing gets done. No political advancements are made. It's 100% a performance. It's pretend. Your life or anyone you are pretending to care about's life is not materially affected in any way whatsoever, ever. You're not participating in real life. You're participating in a manufactured representation of it.
Padam10:37. Your commentary begs a very obvious question. Do you know what that is?
Padam6:48. Who exactly do you expect to pay for our military excursions in the service of Israel?
Padam5:41,
PadamSeems correct, since white people are the devil.
David in Cal,
PadamThe Republican Party doesn't want the USA to be a merit-based society, because then we'd have a 100% Estate Tax rate, and their lazy, good for nothing, deadbeat kids would have to get a job, like I did.
10:37,
PadamIf you're ever in Texas, look me up.
Your first two abortions are on me.
I am guilty of repeating 'Orange Man bad' ad nauseam. I hereby resolve to also say 'Orange Man corrupt', 'Orange Man stupid', 'Orange Man nuts'.
PadamThere. I feel better already.
10:37,
PadamThrough all the arguing, our borders remain open. As they should be.
We are all going to need that open border to flee to Mexico when Trump implements the camps for US dissenters.
PadamThis need of experts is silly. From day one as president when Trump boasted abouthaving the largest inaugural crowd in history, it was clear he was mentally ill.
BalasPadamIt was clear before the election.
Padamhttps://www.dailykos.com/stories/2026/4/18/800022388/national/politics-is-shaken-by-a-new-wave-of-metoo-reckonings/
BalasPadamSomerby has claimed several times that #metoo is over, but apparently women get an opinion about that too. Epstein is the ultimate #metoo issue. This is not the right election to behave like an asshole toward women.
That's Somerby wish, not his claim.
PadamThis heavy drinking in Trump’s administration may reflect the toxic masculinity valued by the right.
BalasPadamTrump is golfing again this weekend.
BalasPadamBecause fu k you, what are you going to do about it
PadamUn-fucking-believable!
BalasPadamTrump says US-Iran talks to take place Tuesday, Witkoff and Kushner heading to Pakistan
Because , fuck us, what are we going to do about it.
Dickheads' hero: "Iran said today that the Strait of Hormuz is again closed to traffic, less than 24 hours after Hair Füror boasted: “Iran has agreed to never close the Strait of Hormuz again.”" Dickhead doesn't judge him by the stupid things he says but by the results he gets. Being a foreign troll the results he loves the most are the ones where the President further humiliated and bankrupted the USA.
PadamHumiliation. Risking humiliation can be a strength.
PadamTrump has more courage than most of us. One aspect of courage is the willingness to risk being embarrassed or humiliated. E.g., consider the assassination of the evil Soleimani and moving the US embassy to Jerusalem. Other Presidents didn't do these things. Everyone knew one wasn't supposed to to this. Doing something considered unacceptable and resulting in a mess would be humiliating. Trump had the courage to risk being humiliated. As it turned out, these two steps worked well for the United States and the world.
He’s so courageous, just those pesky bone spurs kept him from serving. Otherwise, he would totally have served, 100%.
PadamAnd he certainly feels no shame in the massive corruption he and his family are engaged in. His willingness to humiliate himself should be rewarded somehow. I know: how about renaming the Kennedy center or even better, a giant arch to defile Washington DC?
They don’t call him Donald J Chickenshit for nothing.
PadamDoing the same failed thing over and over again and expecting different results is the definition of insanity, dickhead. Jared fucking Kushner??! What the living fuck is wrong with you
“Risking humiliation can be a strength.”
PadamIs that why the demented abomination went to a fucking MMA event in Miami on the one fucking day his VP was negotiating with a peace agreement
How is the world better off because the US embassy is in Jerusalem? What the fuck is wrong with you?
PadamRunning for President took courage. It was a preposterous thing to do. A man with no background in politics thinking he could be elected to the highest office. If his campaign went nowhere, he would have been subject to ridicule, as Harold Stassen was. Trump was not deterred by the risk of embarrassment.
PadamHe’s a fucking coward. Only sits for interviews with people who won’t challenge him. He fucking lies because he knows sycophants like dickhead don’t care.
PadamTrump was promised the election by Russia and he believed them because of his grandiosity. When money can buy you whatever you want, why should Trump have doubted that he would win? And look what happened -- he did! History will explain this as corruption.
Padam@12:48 there is a major time difference between Pakistan and the US, so Trump was at the MMA event while Vance was sleeping in the middle of the night there.
https://emptywheel.net/2026/04/19/todd-blanche-puts-dmitry-firtashs-onetime-lawyer-in-charge-of-criminalizing-the-russian-investigation/
Padam12:48, fair point, however it’s ridiculous that his SoS was accompanying him instead of doing actually doing his job
Padam@1:23 - actually Trump answers questions from hostile reporters almost every day. BTW Biden never did that
PadamWhat did I say dickhead? Sit for an interview. You’re satisfied with hys fucking lying cabaret from the door of
PadamAF1?
"Trump was not deterred by the risk of embarrassment.'
PadamIt would be better for all of us if he was deterred. Then he wouldn't do so many harmful things.
We all know Orange Chickenshit has no fucking shame. He stole a Nobel Peace Prize from a young woman because he’s an ass, for Christ sake. Dickhead elevates his immoral lack of shame to be a virtue.
Padam@5:33 - Errors in your comment:
Padam1. the medal is not the Nobel Prize. The Nobel Prize is the honor of being chosen, as well as cash of around $1 million.
2. He didn't steal it. She gave it to him in recognition for his contribution to the well-being of her country and its citizens. He deserved it. Venezuelans are indeed better off today than before Trump's action E.g., over 600 political prisoners were released.
3. Maria Machado is not young. She was born in 967
There is something seriously the fuck wrong with you, dickface
PadamThe big fat whiney baby kept crying about not being awarded the Nobel, dickhead. Who the fuck do you think you’re fooling? Who gave the fat demented abomination the Kennedy Center Memorial, fuckface?
PadamNo fucking shame, you imbecile
She gave him her medal as she wanted the quid pro quo of Trump naming her El Presidente. But being a fucking misogynistic idiot and asshole he fucked her over. As he do.
PadamThe Looting Continues
BalasPadam"Lawyers for President Donald Trump are engaged in talks with the IRS to resolve a $10 billion lawsuit the president filed against his own tax collection agency over the leak of his tax information to news outlets between 2018 and 2020."
DOJ Demands 2024 Wayne County, MI ballots.
BalasPadamBecause fuck us, what are we going to do about it.
Keep in mind, when the fucking media says “ DOJ” , they mean Trump’s fucking lawyers