A Democratic lawmaker says that he will introduce legislation that would require presidential candidates to undergo a mental health examination following a tweet from President Trump in which he praised himself as a “stable genius.”
Rep. Brendan Boyle’s office said in a press release that the Pennsylvania Democrat would introduce the “Stable Genius Act” in the House on Tuesday.
The act would require all presidential candidates to file a Federal Election Commission (FEC) report “certifying that he or she has undergone medical examination by the medical office under the jurisdiction of the Secretary of the Navy.”
Boyle said in the statement that American voters have the right to know whether a candidate has the mental fortitude to withstand the pressures of the White House.
“Before voting for the highest office in the land, Americans have a right to know whether an individual has the physical and mental fitness to serve as President,” he added.
Trump over the weekend responded to claims made in Michael Wolff’s new book, “Fire and Fury: Inside the Trump White House,” that his aides regularly question whether he has the mental stability for the Oval Office.
“Actually, throughout my life, my two greatest assets have been mental stability and being, like, really smart. Crooked Hillary Clinton also played these cards very hard and, as everyone knows, went down in flames. I went from VERY successful businessman, to top T.V. Star … to President of the United States (on my first try). I think that would qualify as not smart, but genius …. and a very stable genius at that!” Trump tweeted on Saturday.
Boyle referenced those tweets on Tuesday, saying he disagrees with Trump’s assessment of himself and that Trump’s election had exposed a “flaw” in America’s election systems.
“The President believes he is a ‘stable genius.’ I do not,” Boyle added. “President Trump’s reckless, erratic behavior has exposed a critical flaw in our existing election process.”
The Pennsylvania Democrat added that he supports legislation to address “ongoing concerns” about Trump’s “concerning behavior.”
“While it is necessary to take the current President’s concerning behavior seriously and I support legislation to address these ongoing concerns, I believe we must also be proactive and do all we can to ensure a situation like this does not arise again.”
The legislation faces an uncertain future in the Republican-controlled Congress.