Where we (barely) stand: the sitting president of the United States is, as judged by the majority of the country, members of his own administration and congressional leaders of his own party, demonstrably and dangerously unfit for office, so much so as to constitute a threat to the security of the United States. Oh, Ratty, Ratty, whatever shall we do?
There’s Article II, Section 4, the Impeachment Clause. Sounds pretty straightforward. Oh, wait. A two-thirds majority of the Senate? Never mind…
How ‘bout that famous 25th Amendment, huh? That shows promise. Sadly, as Eric Hansel pointed out earlier today (www.dailykos.com/...), chances of getting 7 out of 10 Cabinet secretaries on board are slim to snowball in hell.
So, if there’s no chance of impeachment or removal of 45 via 25, I guess we’re pretty much screwed, eh?
As Yoda said, “There is another.”
As the president, however he or she obtained the title, is a resident of the District of Columbia, laws of that jurisdiction generally apply to said person. Including laws covering what is known in statute as “Mandatory Treatment,” what other jurisdictions may call “Involuntary Committment.”
The standard in the District for granting Mandatory Treatment is the common and rather broad “likely to cause harm to self or others” standard (D.C. CODE ANN. § 21-545(b)(2)). Yesterday, while in the care of his outpatient guardians (Hi, Gen. Kelly!), our patient, in an irrational outburst, condemned hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of US citizens to die ugly, painful deaths, while making the patently delusional claim that he was “improving” the country’s health care system. Earlier in the week, he threatened to kill thousands of residents of the U.S. territory Puerto Rico by withdrawing emergency aid from the island. Many other examples can be cited. Feel free to add suggestions for the subject’s quasi-guardian Gen. Kelly in the comments.
D.C., unlike many jurisdictions, provides for long-term mandatory treatment, up to a year (D.C. CODE ANN. § 21-545(b)(2)). For the purposes of keeping our subject from harming himself or others, this provision is a godsend, as, toward the end of that period, midterm elections may allow us to provide a more conventional and permanent solution to the problem.
There’s only one real hurdle to quarantining this threat to public safety: getting the person who can hit the “go” button on board.
Unlike many other jurisdictions, a lay person not related to the subject may not petition the court for a ruling of mandatory treatment. Only a “spouse, parent or legal guardian” may make such a petition (D.C. CODE ANN. § 21-541(a)). As both Fred and Mary are long gone and Generals Kelly and McMaster are not technically Himself’s legal guardians, only the First Lady, America’s most famous stupormodel, can pull the switch.
So, how ‘bout it, Melania? Think he’s bats? Ever any indication that he can be a danger to himself or others? Be honest now...