WEBVTT 00:00:04.140 --> 00:00:05.580 AMY GOODMAN: This is Democracy Now!, 00:00:05.580 --> 00:00:08.420 democracynow.org, The War and Peace Report. 00:00:08.420 --> 00:00:09.650 I’m Amy Goodman. 00:00:09.650 --> 00:00:13.770 Last month, Pentagon leaders told a Senate panel 00:00:13.770 --> 00:00:16.480 they would ignore any unlawful order 00:00:16.480 --> 00:00:19.750 by President Donald Trump to launch a nuclear strike. 00:00:19.750 --> 00:00:22.780 The testimony came as part of the first congressional hearings 00:00:22.780 --> 00:00:25.560 in more than 40 years on the president’s authority 00:00:25.560 --> 00:00:27.410 to start a nuclear war. 00:00:27.410 --> 00:00:29.690 This is Connecticut Democrat Chris Murphy. 00:00:30.510 --> 00:00:33.570 SEN. CHRIS MURPHY: We are concerned that the president 00:00:33.570 --> 00:00:35.660 of the United States 00:00:35.660 --> 00:00:39.110 is so unstable, is so volatile, 00:00:39.940 --> 00:00:42.790 has a decision-making process that is so quixotic, 00:00:43.290 --> 00:00:45.660 that he might order a nuclear weapon strike 00:00:46.280 --> 00:00:47.880 that is wildly out of step 00:00:47.880 --> 00:00:50.290 with U.S. national security interests. 00:00:50.290 --> 00:00:51.980 AMY GOODMAN: Well, for more, we’re joined by someone 00:00:51.980 --> 00:00:54.650 who’s led a discussion of mental health professionals 00:00:54.650 --> 00:00:56.310 who are deeply concerned 00:00:56.310 --> 00:00:59.800 about President Trump’s psychological instability. 00:00:59.800 --> 00:01:02.210 Dr. Bandy Lee is a forensic psychiatrist 00:01:02.210 --> 00:01:04.400 on the faculty of Yale School of Medicine, 00:01:04.400 --> 00:01:07.590 an internationally recognized expert on violence. 00:01:08.090 --> 00:01:12.680 She organized the "Duty to Warn" conference at Yale 00:01:12.680 --> 00:01:16.170 and edited the book The Dangerous Case of Donald Trump: 00:01:16.170 --> 00:01:19.020 27 Psychiatrists and Mental Health Experts 00:01:19.020 --> 00:01:20.580 Assess a President. 00:01:20.580 --> 00:01:22.330 The book became a best-seller 00:01:22.330 --> 00:01:24.550 the instant it was published in October, 00:01:24.550 --> 00:01:28.010 sold out, resupplied, sold out again. 00:01:28.010 --> 00:01:33.850 Dr. Bandy Lee is with us to talk about the issues raised 00:01:33.850 --> 00:01:37.230 by these 27 psychiatrists and mental health experts. 00:01:37.230 --> 00:01:39.200 Of course, it’s now many, many more, 00:01:39.200 --> 00:01:41.420 not just people who participated in this book. 00:01:42.060 --> 00:01:45.550 What are your deepest concerns about President Trump? 00:01:45.550 --> 00:01:48.320 And have you had concerns about, 00:01:48.320 --> 00:01:51.340 oh, presidents you agree with and disagree 00:01:51.340 --> 00:01:53.450 with, mental health concerns, before? 00:01:54.370 --> 00:01:56.810 DR. BANDY LEE: Well, it’s actually historically 00:01:56.810 --> 00:01:57.880 unprecedented 00:01:57.880 --> 00:02:00.010 that so many mental health professionals 00:02:00.010 --> 00:02:02.430 have come forth with their concerns, 00:02:04.390 --> 00:02:06.800 under any president, of any party. 00:02:06.800 --> 00:02:09.110 So it really is the first time 00:02:09.110 --> 00:02:11.640 that this many mental health professionals 00:02:11.640 --> 00:02:13.710 are coming together in a coalition. 00:02:14.680 --> 00:02:18.660 We even have a website now, DangerousCase.org, 00:02:18.660 --> 00:02:23.610 where the public and lawmakers can discourse with us. 00:02:24.280 --> 00:02:26.590 There are thousands of us at this point. 00:02:27.630 --> 00:02:31.140 AMY GOODMAN: So talk about—lay out what your concerns 00:02:31.140 --> 00:02:32.680 are as a psychiatrist. 00:02:32.680 --> 00:02:36.070 DR. BANDY LEE: So, our concerns are that someone 00:02:36.070 --> 00:02:38.920 with this level of mental instability 00:02:38.920 --> 00:02:42.340 and impairment has this much power, 00:02:42.880 --> 00:02:44.980 in the office of the presidency—basically, 00:02:44.980 --> 00:02:48.840 the power to start a devastating war, 00:02:48.840 --> 00:02:54.350 to launch nuclear missiles, without any inhibition. 00:02:54.350 --> 00:02:55.630 You saw from the hearings 00:02:55.630 --> 00:02:59.090 that there is very little inhibition in place right now. 00:02:59.090 --> 00:03:02.760 Within five minutes of the commander-in-chief’s orders, 00:03:03.370 --> 00:03:06.140 nuclear missiles could be launched without question. 00:03:06.820 --> 00:03:07.220 And— 00:03:07.220 --> 00:03:09.440 AMY GOODMAN: And how does that relate to his mental fitness? 00:03:10.030 --> 00:03:12.640 DR. BANDY LEE: And, of course, his decision-making capacity, 00:03:13.410 --> 00:03:15.600 having such levels of impulsivity, 00:03:16.110 --> 00:03:18.300 having a loose grip on reality 00:03:18.300 --> 00:03:23.520 and being so fragile in his ability 00:03:23.520 --> 00:03:26.040 to cope with ordinary stresses, 00:03:26.040 --> 00:03:31.520 such as basic criticisms or unflattering news, 00:03:32.430 --> 00:03:35.110 will tend to unravel, 00:03:35.110 --> 00:03:37.690 especially in times of heightened stress, 00:03:37.690 --> 00:03:40.880 such as under the special counsel’s investigations. 00:03:41.770 --> 00:03:43.640 AMY GOODMAN: Just last week, Tony Schwartz, 00:03:43.640 --> 00:03:46.250 author of—well, co-author of Trump’s book, 00:03:46.250 --> 00:03:49.620 The Art of the Deal, told MSNBC’s Ari Melber 00:03:49.620 --> 00:03:51.480 that the president’s inner circle 00:03:51.480 --> 00:03:53.640 is worried about his mental state. 00:03:54.770 --> 00:03:56.870 TONY SCHWARTZ: I know that two different 00:03:56.870 --> 00:03:58.120 people from the White House, 00:03:58.120 --> 00:03:59.890 or at least saying they were from the White House, 00:03:59.890 --> 00:04:02.050 and that turned out to be a White House number, 00:04:02.050 --> 00:04:06.600 have called somebody I know in the last several weeks to say, 00:04:06.600 --> 00:04:08.980 "We are deeply concerned about his mental health." 00:04:09.630 --> 00:04:10.570 That’s— ARI MELBER: Wait a minute. 00:04:10.570 --> 00:04:13.940 You’re saying you have knowledge of people 00:04:13.940 --> 00:04:17.010 calling from a White House line raising that question. 00:04:17.010 --> 00:04:18.520 Why would they do that? How do you know that? 00:04:19.290 --> 00:04:20.710 TONY SCHWARTZ: I know that because I know 00:04:20.710 --> 00:04:22.410 the person that they called. 00:04:22.410 --> 00:04:24.880 And this is a person who I absolutely trust, 00:04:24.880 --> 00:04:26.330 who has great integrity. 00:04:26.330 --> 00:04:28.490 AMY GOODMAN: So, that was Tony Schwartz, 00:04:28.490 --> 00:04:30.240 who I think ghostwrote the book 00:04:30.240 --> 00:04:34.310 The Art of the Deal, very close to Trump for a period of time. 00:04:34.310 --> 00:04:35.970 What are your thoughts about what he said? 00:04:36.490 --> 00:04:38.920 DR. BANDY LEE: Well, as you know , he has a chapter in the book, 00:04:38.920 --> 00:04:42.250 even though he’s not counted among the 27 experts. 00:04:42.830 --> 00:04:44.290 We do have three others 00:04:44.290 --> 00:04:45.620 who have been included 00:04:45.620 --> 00:04:47.530 for their special insight, 00:04:47.530 --> 00:04:50.830 their special experience with Mr. Trump. 00:04:50.830 --> 00:04:53.640 And we included him 00:04:53.640 --> 00:04:57.840 because he has special insight into these matters. 00:04:57.840 --> 00:05:00.280 And I would agree with his assessment. 00:05:00.900 --> 00:05:05.310 We speak often. We share our observations. 00:05:05.310 --> 00:05:08.460 And we’re both deeply concerned. 00:05:08.460 --> 00:05:10.390 AMY GOODMAN: The chapter that Tony Schwartz 00:05:10.390 --> 00:05:11.880 wrote in your book, 00:05:11.880 --> 00:05:14.940 "I wrote The Art of the Deal with Donald Trump. 00:05:14.940 --> 00:05:18.560 His self-sabotage is rooted in his past." 00:05:18.560 --> 00:05:20.080 Explain his point here. 00:05:22.310 --> 00:05:24.840 DR. BANDY LEE: Well, there’s actually a lot that’s outlined. 00:05:24.840 --> 00:05:27.640 It’s a reprint of an article that he wrote, 00:05:27.640 --> 00:05:28.970 I believe for The New Yorker. 00:05:30.230 --> 00:05:34.430 He outlines very much his interactions 00:05:34.430 --> 00:05:36.990 and experiences with the president. 00:05:36.990 --> 00:05:42.550 And he describes, most markedly, this emptiness, 00:05:42.550 --> 00:05:45.540 this—what he calls a black hole level 00:05:45.540 --> 00:05:50.380 of self-esteem or self-worth that is missing, 00:05:51.360 --> 00:05:55.730 whereby he can have all the admiration of the world, 00:05:55.730 --> 00:05:57.070 all of the successes, 00:05:57.070 --> 00:06:00.660 and he will—his thirst will never be quenched, 00:06:00.660 --> 00:06:02.890 because of that intense need. 00:06:02.890 --> 00:06:05.760 And that is what we’re seeing, over and over. 00:06:05.760 --> 00:06:11.970 And what is most concerning for us is that his way of coping 00:06:11.970 --> 00:06:15.210 with this critical sense of need at every moment, 00:06:15.810 --> 00:06:19.350 so much, to the point where he cannot think of the past 00:06:19.350 --> 00:06:21.730 or the future or consequences, 00:06:22.970 --> 00:06:27.510 his main urgency is to quench the need at the moment. 00:06:27.510 --> 00:06:33.000 And the way he does this is by burnishing his power, 00:06:33.000 --> 00:06:37.350 by going to belligerent language 00:06:37.350 --> 00:06:41.230 or affirming conflicts 00:06:41.230 --> 00:06:45.880 and others’ sense of the world 00:06:45.880 --> 00:06:48.360 as a threatening place where you have to be violent. 00:06:49.380 --> 00:06:51.210 AMY GOODMAN: This is Republican Senator Lindsey Graham 00:06:51.210 --> 00:06:52.860 of South Carolina speaking about, 00:06:52.860 --> 00:06:55.010 well, then-candidate Donald Trump. 00:06:55.010 --> 00:06:56.880 This was back in 2016. 00:06:57.700 --> 00:06:59.100 SEN. LINDSEY GRAHAM: I’m not going to try to get 00:06:59.100 --> 00:07:01.080 into the mind of Donald Trump, 00:07:01.080 --> 00:07:03.400 because I don’t think there’s a whole lot of space there. 00:07:04.310 --> 00:07:07.140 I think he’s a kook. I think he’s crazy. 00:07:07.140 --> 00:07:09.140 I think he’s unfit for office. 00:07:09.140 --> 00:07:12.690 AMY GOODMAN: So that was Graham in 2016. 00:07:12.690 --> 00:07:15.210 But Senator Graham sounded different last month, 00:07:15.210 --> 00:07:16.880 when he spoke to CNN. 00:07:17.880 --> 00:07:19.260 SEN. LINDSEY GRAHAM: You know, what concerns me about 00:07:19.260 --> 00:07:20.260 the American press 00:07:20.260 --> 00:07:21.680 is this endless, 00:07:21.680 --> 00:07:25.970 endless attempt to label the guy as some kind of kook, 00:07:26.830 --> 00:07:28.120 not fit to be president. 00:07:28.880 --> 00:07:31.390 AMY GOODMAN: So, that is Senator Graham now. 00:07:32.400 --> 00:07:33.770 What about what he’s saying? 00:07:35.050 --> 00:07:38.800 DR. BANDY LEE: I think the laypersons, 00:07:39.560 --> 00:07:41.040 the public or lawmakers, 00:07:41.810 --> 00:07:44.770 would be prone to underestimating the dangers 00:07:44.770 --> 00:07:46.620 of this president, 00:07:46.620 --> 00:07:51.810 because most people are used to seeing individuals 00:07:51.810 --> 00:07:53.500 who are healthy. 00:07:53.500 --> 00:07:57.220 It’s only professionals who see those who are impaired, 00:07:57.220 --> 00:07:58.720 day in and day out. 00:07:58.720 --> 00:08:02.530 And so, the natural tendency will be to interpret 00:08:02.530 --> 00:08:06.850 what they’re seeing in terms of a normal range, 00:08:06.850 --> 00:08:09.430 a normal variation of human choices, 00:08:09.430 --> 00:08:11.080 decision making and behavior. 00:08:11.970 --> 00:08:15.040 What we are—what we feel pressed to do 00:08:15.040 --> 00:08:18.500 is to warn about the situation 00:08:18.500 --> 00:08:23.070 where someone is not acting within normal range, 00:08:23.070 --> 00:08:29.560 where one is normalizing what is in fact a malignancy 00:08:31.070 --> 00:08:34.110 in one’s interpretation of reality. 00:08:34.110 --> 00:08:35.710 AMY GOODMAN: On Wednesday, the House voted 00:08:35.710 --> 00:08:37.750 not to impeach President Trump. 00:08:37.750 --> 00:08:40.990 The vote failed 364 to 58, 00:08:40.990 --> 00:08:43.760 with all Republicans voting against the measure. 00:08:43.760 --> 00:08:45.660 The Democratic leadership also came out 00:08:45.660 --> 00:08:46.880 against the impeachment vote. 00:08:46.880 --> 00:08:49.010 The measure was introduced by Congressmember Al 00:08:49.010 --> 00:08:51.470 Green of Houston, who said on the House floor, 00:08:51.470 --> 00:08:54.110 "Donald John Trump, by causing such harm 00:08:54.110 --> 00:08:56.070 to the society of the United States, 00:08:56.070 --> 00:08:59.430 is unfit to be president and warrants impeachment, 00:08:59.430 --> 00:09:02.590 trial and removal from office." 00:09:02.590 --> 00:09:05.720 And then, in April, Maryland Congressmember Jamie Raskin 00:09:05.720 --> 00:09:07.710 introduced a bill that would create a commission 00:09:07.710 --> 00:09:11.330 to determine if the president is mentally 00:09:11.330 --> 00:09:13.650 or physically unfit for office. 00:09:13.650 --> 00:09:17.600 This is Congressman Raskin, also professor of constitutional law, 00:09:17.600 --> 00:09:20.660 explaining how the bill is based on the 25th Amendment. 00:09:21.890 --> 00:09:24.220 REP. JAMIE RASKIN: Section 4 of the 25th Amendment says 00:09:24.220 --> 00:09:26.200 that the vice president of the United States 00:09:26.200 --> 00:09:28.750 can act with a majority of the Cabinet 00:09:28.750 --> 00:09:31.320 to determine that there’s a presidential incapacity, 00:09:31.320 --> 00:09:35.420 or the vice president can act with a majority of any body 00:09:35.420 --> 00:09:38.730 to be set up—and Congress never set up the body 00:09:38.730 --> 00:09:40.870 that’s called for in the 25th Amendment. 00:09:40.870 --> 00:09:43.660 So this is us essentially following through 00:09:43.660 --> 00:09:45.140 on our constitutional obligation 00:09:45.140 --> 00:09:49.340 to set up a body in the event of a presidential disability. 00:09:49.340 --> 00:09:52.800 And that’s something that would be determined by the body, 00:09:52.800 --> 00:09:54.060 but, of course, only with the vice 00:09:54.060 --> 00:09:55.460 president of the United States. 00:09:55.460 --> 00:09:58.390 So, we’re talking about a body that is nonpartisan, 00:09:58.390 --> 00:10:00.830 that’s independent and that acts with the vice president, 00:10:00.830 --> 00:10:03.370 who, of course, is reporting directly to the president. 00:10:03.370 --> 00:10:05.840 So it would be in the most extreme cases 00:10:05.840 --> 00:10:08.810 where there’s a consensus that’s developed the president 00:10:08.810 --> 00:10:11.940 is incapable of discharging the duties of office. 00:10:11.940 --> 00:10:14.000 AMY GOODMAN: So, that is Congressman Jamie Raskin. 00:10:14.560 --> 00:10:17.080 You just came from Capitol Hill, where you’re talking to— 00:10:17.080 --> 00:10:17.260 DR. BANDY LEE: Yes. 00:10:17.260 --> 00:10:19.180 AMY GOODMAN: —Democratic and Republican congressmembers. 00:10:19.180 --> 00:10:21.180 What about this? 00:10:21.910 --> 00:10:25.180 DR. BANDY LEE: Senator—or Representative Raskin 00:10:25.180 --> 00:10:26.510 was one of the members 00:10:26.510 --> 00:10:28.030 that I got to meet, 00:10:28.030 --> 00:10:30.990 but, unfortunately, he was called to vote, 00:10:30.990 --> 00:10:32.440 so we didn’t get to talk much. 00:10:33.220 --> 00:10:36.140 He definitely wishes to follow up. 00:10:36.740 --> 00:10:40.120 And we, among ourselves, 00:10:40.120 --> 00:10:42.560 have also been advocating for an expert panel, 00:10:43.670 --> 00:10:46.090 that would be separate and independent 00:10:46.090 --> 00:10:49.550 and appointed by the National Academy of Medicine, 00:10:49.550 --> 00:10:53.240 so, in fact, we could work on figuring out 00:10:53.240 --> 00:10:56.070 what the solution might be for us 00:10:56.070 --> 00:10:59.230 to be able to form an independent panel 00:10:59.230 --> 00:11:00.820 that can give recommendations 00:11:00.820 --> 00:11:04.450 that he could receive through a commission. 00:11:04.450 --> 00:11:07.260 AMY GOODMAN: Let me ask you about this unusual article 00:11:07.870 --> 00:11:10.730 I just read that’s sort of going all over the internet, 00:11:10.730 --> 00:11:13.580 "Could Trump’s Hair Drug Threaten His Physical 00:11:13.580 --> 00:11:15.010 and Mental Health?" 00:11:15.010 --> 00:11:18.660 And it said—this is from months ago—"This week, 00:11:18.660 --> 00:11:20.400 President Trump’s doctor disclosed 00:11:20.400 --> 00:11:22.270 that the president takes finasteride, 00:11:22.270 --> 00:11:27.820 a drug marketed as Propecia, to treat male pattern baldness. 00:11:27.820 --> 00:11:30.330 While it is tempting to make jokes about Trump’s hair, 00:11:30.330 --> 00:11:32.960 and even the sexual side effects that accompany the drug, 00:11:32.960 --> 00:11:35.750 it also has many disturbing side effects 00:11:35.750 --> 00:11:39.170 that neither the president—nor any other man—should risk. 00:11:39.170 --> 00:11:42.110 “In the 19 years since Propecia was approved 00:11:42.110 --> 00:11:45.080 to treat hair loss from male pattern baldness, 00:11:45.080 --> 00:11:46.890 side effects have been so concerning 00:11:46.890 --> 00:11:49.550 that the term post-finasteride syndrome 00:11:49.550 --> 00:11:50.230 (PFS) 00:11:50.230 --> 00:11:54.120 has been coined and hundreds of lawsuits have been brought. 00:11:54.120 --> 00:11:56.140 In addition to its sexual side effects, 00:11:56.140 --> 00:11:59.600 the drug’s effects on cognition, mood and mental states 00:11:59.600 --> 00:12:03.340 have been documented in the scientific literature. 00:12:03.340 --> 00:12:07.330 "A 2013 study in Journal of Sexual Medicine noted 00:12:08.170 --> 00:12:10.500 'changes related to the urogenital system 00:12:10.500 --> 00:12:13.760 in terms of semen quality and decreased ejaculate volume, 00:12:13.760 --> 00:12:17.140 reduction in penis size, penile curvature or reduced sensation, 00:12:17.140 --> 00:12:18.670 fewer spontaneous erections, 00:12:18.670 --> 00:12:20.440 decreased testicular size, 00:12:20.440 --> 00:12:23.240 testicular pain, and prostatitis.' 00:12:23.240 --> 00:12:26.240 [unquote] Many subjects also noted a 'disconnection 00:12:26.240 --> 00:12:30.070 between the mental and physical aspects of sexual function,' 00:12:30.070 --> 00:12:31.850 and changes in mental abilities, 00:12:31.850 --> 00:12:35.270 sleeping patterns, and/or depressive symptoms." 00:12:35.270 --> 00:12:37.010 Do you think this is relevant? 00:12:38.690 --> 00:12:40.460 DR. BANDY LEE: Most definitely. 00:12:40.460 --> 00:12:44.670 Mental function is not separate from physical function, 00:12:44.670 --> 00:12:48.360 and many medications have profound effects 00:12:48.360 --> 00:12:51.050 on the mind’s capacity. 00:12:51.050 --> 00:12:53.700 And so, this is one of the reasons 00:12:53.700 --> 00:12:56.850 why an evaluation would be so critical, 00:12:56.850 --> 00:13:00.150 because mental impairment can be just as debilitating 00:13:00.150 --> 00:13:02.250 as physical impairment, 00:13:02.250 --> 00:13:06.140 and the both are connected. 00:13:06.140 --> 00:13:08.910 So, to have all the medical records, 00:13:08.910 --> 00:13:11.910 as well as to be able to get a list of medications 00:13:13.290 --> 00:13:15.040 and to do a medical exam, 00:13:15.040 --> 00:13:18.300 would be essential to doing a mental health exam. 00:13:18.300 --> 00:13:20.990 AMY GOODMAN: I wanted to go back to this issue of "duty to warn" 00:13:20.990 --> 00:13:22.760 and the conference that you put on— 00:13:22.760 --> 00:13:22.900 DR. BANDY LEE: Yes. 00:13:22.900 --> 00:13:26.270 AMY GOODMAN: —where you had an auditorium at Yale University 00:13:26.270 --> 00:13:29.990 of something like 500 seats, and maybe 20 people showed up. 00:13:29.990 --> 00:13:31.680 Since then, you’ve had death threats. 00:13:32.350 --> 00:13:35.440 Talk about how this movement has grown, 00:13:35.440 --> 00:13:39.870 and, again, where this whole concept of "duty to warn" 00:13:39.870 --> 00:13:43.140 comes from, why psychiatrists should be weighing in here. 00:13:43.140 --> 00:13:45.070 A lot of people have to be scratching their heads 00:13:45.070 --> 00:13:45.720 and saying, 00:13:45.720 --> 00:13:48.330 "You haven’t had a sit-down discussion with Donald Trump. 00:13:48.330 --> 00:13:50.150 You haven’t personally analyzed him. 00:13:51.050 --> 00:13:53.520 You know, stay in your wheelhouse. 00:13:53.520 --> 00:13:55.340 This is not your business. 00:13:55.340 --> 00:14:00.170 You are trying to classify as a mental illness, 00:14:00.170 --> 00:14:02.570 perhaps, hatred, meanness, bigotry. 00:14:02.570 --> 00:14:04.740 This is not your right." 00:14:04.740 --> 00:14:06.720 DR. BANDY LEE: Well, actually, we deal with all those things 00:14:06.720 --> 00:14:08.220 in psychiatry. 00:14:08.220 --> 00:14:09.830 I am a forensic psychiatrist, 00:14:09.830 --> 00:14:12.570 which means I work at the interface of psychiatry 00:14:12.570 --> 00:14:13.580 and the law. 00:14:13.580 --> 00:14:18.090 So, legal cases, criminal cases, civil cases, 00:14:18.090 --> 00:14:19.310 I often deal with them. 00:14:19.310 --> 00:14:22.160 And what we do is distinguish between that 00:14:22.160 --> 00:14:23.850 which is mental impairment 00:14:23.850 --> 00:14:26.710 versus that which is criminal responsibility 00:14:26.710 --> 00:14:29.230 or intended choices. 00:14:29.230 --> 00:14:33.670 And oftentimes the distinction can be blurred for the public, 00:14:34.360 --> 00:14:38.140 especially when the impairment looks 00:14:38.140 --> 00:14:42.390 like someone’s intended choices 00:14:42.390 --> 00:14:44.620 or even look like a brilliant strategy, 00:14:44.620 --> 00:14:47.880 when in fact it follows a pattern of pathology 00:14:48.490 --> 00:14:51.270 and drives toward damage and destruction 00:14:51.270 --> 00:14:53.020 for oneself as well as others. 00:14:53.020 --> 00:14:54.670 And those are the times 00:14:54.670 --> 00:14:57.370 when I feel that it does enter into our domain. 00:14:57.370 --> 00:14:58.870 AMY GOODMAN: So, explain "duty to warn." 00:14:58.870 --> 00:15:01.000 You’re sitting in your office. You have a patient. 00:15:01.000 --> 00:15:03.140 They say, "I’m going to go out and kill," 00:15:03.140 --> 00:15:04.660 and they name the person. 00:15:04.660 --> 00:15:06.250 What’s your responsibility there? 00:15:06.250 --> 00:15:08.040 And how does that relate to the president? 00:15:08.040 --> 00:15:10.110 DR. BANDY LEE: So that was the Tarasoff case, 00:15:10.110 --> 00:15:13.650 where an individual was sitting with a counselor 00:15:13.650 --> 00:15:18.300 and expressed a desire, thoughts of harm. 00:15:18.830 --> 00:15:23.280 And the counselor respected confidentiality, 00:15:23.280 --> 00:15:25.310 did not warn the potential victim. 00:15:25.310 --> 00:15:29.080 And then, afterward, he went out and killed the person, 00:15:29.080 --> 00:15:30.800 Miss Tarasoff. 00:15:30.800 --> 00:15:37.160 Since then, court cases have been added to expand the rule, 00:15:37.160 --> 00:15:40.420 so not only do you have a duty to warn the potential victim; 00:15:41.240 --> 00:15:46.860 because this is a danger and a case of—it’s an emergency, 00:15:46.860 --> 00:15:49.760 you have to break confidentiality 00:15:50.370 --> 00:15:54.000 or do what you need to do to protect safety. 00:15:54.000 --> 00:15:55.330 Safety comes first. 00:15:55.970 --> 00:15:58.010 When safety and survival are concerned, 00:15:58.010 --> 00:16:01.810 it doesn’t matter if the person, the victim, is not your patient. 00:16:01.810 --> 00:16:04.230 It doesn’t matter if the source of information 00:16:04.230 --> 00:16:06.170 does not come from the patient. 00:16:06.170 --> 00:16:09.440 And also, there is a part in medical ethics that says, 00:16:09.440 --> 00:16:11.210 in an emergency, 00:16:11.210 --> 00:16:13.530 the physician does not have a choice 00:16:13.530 --> 00:16:16.520 not to take the person as a patient. 00:16:16.520 --> 00:16:19.320 So that would mean, if you were walking in the street 00:16:19.320 --> 00:16:21.640 and someone were having a heart attack, 00:16:21.640 --> 00:16:23.640 you do have to treat the person 00:16:23.640 --> 00:16:27.060 as if it were your patient—without consent, 00:16:27.060 --> 00:16:30.140 without need for confidentiality. 00:16:31.720 --> 00:16:34.720 The psychiatric equivalent would be someone 00:16:34.720 --> 00:16:36.990 acting erratically in a public place, 00:16:36.990 --> 00:16:39.370 say, in an airport or the subway. 00:16:40.210 --> 00:16:41.510 You have to intervene, 00:16:41.510 --> 00:16:44.970 especially if law enforcement or security 00:16:44.970 --> 00:16:48.440 would not be able to recognize the level of danger here, 00:16:48.440 --> 00:16:52.220 because they may not recognize the signs of mental impairment. 00:16:52.980 --> 00:16:56.920 Sometimes impairment can look like they are acting normally 00:16:56.920 --> 00:16:59.680 and making decisions out of conscious choice, 00:16:59.680 --> 00:17:02.880 especially because they themselves will insist 00:17:02.880 --> 00:17:05.440 that this is their own decision making 00:17:05.440 --> 00:17:07.980 and will have very little insight, 00:17:07.980 --> 00:17:10.400 meaning recognizing that something is wrong with them. 00:17:11.430 --> 00:17:14.490 So this is especially when it becomes important. 00:17:15.190 --> 00:17:18.820 When danger is concerned, what you can get 00:17:18.820 --> 00:17:21.470 from an individual interview is limited. 00:17:22.370 --> 00:17:27.530 What is more important are others’ reports, 00:17:27.530 --> 00:17:29.380 observation of behavior. 00:17:29.380 --> 00:17:31.510 And, in fact, with this president, 00:17:31.510 --> 00:17:35.640 we have far more information than we often 00:17:35.640 --> 00:17:37.100 have with our own patients. 00:17:37.100 --> 00:17:41.060 We see his reactions to situation in real time, 00:17:41.060 --> 00:17:43.640 over extended time. 00:17:43.640 --> 00:17:46.650 And to declare dangerousness, 00:17:46.650 --> 00:17:48.240 you don’t need all the information. 00:17:48.240 --> 00:17:50.940 You just need enough information to alarm you. 00:17:50.940 --> 00:17:55.320 AMY GOODMAN: And, Dr. Bandy Lee, how do you assess—you know, 00:17:55.320 --> 00:17:58.440 President Trump, the Access Hollywood tape comes out. 00:17:58.440 --> 00:18:00.130 You know, he acknowledges it. 00:18:00.640 --> 00:18:04.430 And then, what, however many months later, he says, 00:18:04.430 --> 00:18:05.930 "Oh, this is all fake." 00:18:05.930 --> 00:18:06.460 DR. BANDY LEE: Yes. 00:18:06.460 --> 00:18:08.170 AMY GOODMAN: So, how does this fit in 00:18:08.170 --> 00:18:10.650 to the analysis of a psychiatrist like you? 00:18:11.190 --> 00:18:15.070 DR. BANDY LEE: So, whereas we would not make a diagnosis 00:18:15.070 --> 00:18:17.180 without all the information—in fact, 00:18:17.180 --> 00:18:19.040 it would be irresponsible to do so. 00:18:19.040 --> 00:18:21.990 And I believe that we basically cannot, 00:18:21.990 --> 00:18:24.630 until we do a full assessment. 00:18:25.600 --> 00:18:32.450 But, of course, we have many running hyphotheses in our head, 00:18:32.450 --> 00:18:35.030 what we call differential diagnoses. 00:18:35.030 --> 00:18:38.180 And so, we have some hyphotheses 00:18:38.180 --> 00:18:41.090 as to what might be going on with the president. 00:18:41.780 --> 00:18:46.210 What we—things that we predicted seven months ago, 00:18:46.210 --> 00:18:49.520 when we put the book together, have mostly come true. 00:18:49.520 --> 00:18:51.140 AMY GOODMAN: Like? 00:18:51.140 --> 00:18:56.220 DR. BANDY LEE: That he was worse than he appeared in public, 00:18:56.220 --> 00:19:00.230 that he would get worse, that he would not be containable, 00:19:00.230 --> 00:19:03.030 and that—I think around this time people 00:19:03.030 --> 00:19:04.400 were expecting he would pivot 00:19:04.400 --> 00:19:06.650 and become more presidential—that 00:19:06.650 --> 00:19:08.150 all of this would not happen, 00:19:08.150 --> 00:19:13.270 and in fact his impairment is more deep-seated 00:19:13.270 --> 00:19:16.870 and would follow a certain course. 00:19:16.870 --> 00:19:19.860 In other words, with increasing pressures, 00:19:19.860 --> 00:19:23.960 with evolution of his presidency, 00:19:23.960 --> 00:19:27.090 that he would grow worse. 00:19:27.090 --> 00:19:28.460 AMY GOODMAN: Let’s go to Robert Jay Lifton, 00:19:28.460 --> 00:19:31.290 who contributed to your volume. 00:19:32.240 --> 00:19:33.930 In October, he was on Democracy Now! 00:19:33.930 --> 00:19:37.450 and talked about the debate over whether Donald Trump understands 00:19:37.450 --> 00:19:39.740 and can responsibly manage the most destructive 00:19:39.740 --> 00:19:41.100 nuclear arsenal on Earth. 00:19:42.040 --> 00:19:43.620 ROBERT JAY LIFTON: Well, any restriction 00:19:43.620 --> 00:19:45.700 on the president—any president, 00:19:45.700 --> 00:19:49.310 but especially Trump—on his capacity 00:19:49.310 --> 00:19:52.400 to initiate a nuclear war, 00:19:52.400 --> 00:19:55.600 any restriction on that is profoundly desirable. 00:19:56.310 --> 00:19:58.450 It’s a strange world, to say the least, 00:19:58.450 --> 00:20:02.830 when the generals are there to restrain the civilian. 00:20:03.470 --> 00:20:06.760 The generals aren’t, on the whole, 00:20:06.760 --> 00:20:09.340 known for their military restraint. 00:20:09.340 --> 00:20:11.340 There are exceptions. 00:20:13.350 --> 00:20:15.800 With the Vietnam War, as you know, 00:20:15.800 --> 00:20:18.310 it was initiated by civilians, 00:20:18.310 --> 00:20:20.460 "the best and the brightest," as it was called. 00:20:21.210 --> 00:20:24.070 The military was at first a little reluctant, 00:20:24.070 --> 00:20:26.780 then entered it and became corrupted by it, 00:20:27.390 --> 00:20:31.590 and created what I came to call atrocity-producing situations. 00:20:32.230 --> 00:20:34.980 That could happen here, too, with the generals, 00:20:34.980 --> 00:20:37.540 who are ostensibly restrainers, 00:20:39.140 --> 00:20:42.450 allowing him, being unable to prevent him 00:20:42.450 --> 00:20:45.560 from initiating some form of war, 00:20:45.560 --> 00:20:49.140 being themselves drawn in and then corrupted by it. 00:20:49.140 --> 00:20:51.260 That’s a really dangerous sequence. 00:20:51.260 --> 00:20:54.990 Anything that holds that back or in check is desirable. 00:20:54.990 --> 00:20:56.990 AMY GOODMAN: So that’s Dr. Robert Jay Lifton, 00:20:56.990 --> 00:21:00.800 the world-renowned psychiatrist who wrote about Nazi doctors, 00:21:00.800 --> 00:21:03.240 who wrote about the nuclear bombing 00:21:03.240 --> 00:21:04.850 of Hiroshima and Nagasaki 00:21:04.850 --> 00:21:06.520 and the Hiroshima survivors. 00:21:07.640 --> 00:21:11.030 He wrote a piece in The Dangerous Case of Donald Trump. 00:21:11.030 --> 00:21:12.940 Your final comments, Dr. Bandy Lee? 00:21:13.690 --> 00:21:15.700 DR. BANDY LEE: So, violence is an end product 00:21:15.700 --> 00:21:17.430 of a long process. 00:21:17.430 --> 00:21:20.730 And we have seen this process evolving, 00:21:20.730 --> 00:21:24.250 in the mind of Mr. Trump, 00:21:24.250 --> 00:21:28.020 but also in his public responses, 00:21:28.020 --> 00:21:30.430 his effects on the public. 00:21:32.210 --> 00:21:35.770 And I would agree with Dr. Lifton 00:21:35.770 --> 00:21:42.490 that we cannot place the greatest dangers 00:21:42.490 --> 00:21:45.820 to our existential continuation. 00:21:46.400 --> 00:21:48.070 AMY GOODMAN: And your final comment 00:21:48.070 --> 00:21:50.640 in summarizing the message you have, 00:21:50.640 --> 00:21:53.360 the whole "duty to warn" movement that you’re a part of, 00:21:53.360 --> 00:21:55.710 where it’s headed now? 00:21:55.710 --> 00:21:57.710 DR. BANDY LEE: Well, we’re pushing for an evaluation. 00:21:58.570 --> 00:22:00.200 We’re warning about dangerousness. 00:22:00.200 --> 00:22:03.450 We’re actually trying our best to educate the public 00:22:03.450 --> 00:22:05.540 so that people will be aware, 00:22:05.540 --> 00:22:09.510 they will be affirmed in what they are seeing, 00:22:09.510 --> 00:22:13.850 they will be educated on the depths of what they are seeing, 00:22:13.850 --> 00:22:18.220 and also that there is a way of dealing 00:22:18.220 --> 00:22:20.180 with the situation, handling it. 00:22:20.710 --> 00:22:22.600 AMY GOODMAN: Dr. Bandy Lee, we want to thank you for being 00:22:22.600 --> 00:22:24.510 with us, forensic psychiatrist 00:22:24.510 --> 00:22:26.270 on the faculty of Yale School of Medicine, 00:22:26.270 --> 00:22:28.570 internationally recognized expert on violence, 00:22:28.570 --> 00:22:32.120 editor of the best-selling book, just recently published, 00:22:32.120 --> 00:22:34.090 The Dangerous Case of Donald Trump: 00:22:34.090 --> 00:22:36.690 27 Psychiatrists and Mental Health Experts 00:22:36.690 --> 00:22:38.410 Assess a President. 00:22:38.410 --> 00:22:39.440 This is Democracy Now! 00:22:39.440 --> 00:22:42.880 To see Part 1 of our discussion, go to democracynow.org. 00:22:42.880 --> 00:22:44.790 I’m Amy Goodman. Thanks for joining us.