Rep. Madeleine Dean urges Trump allies to tell him he is “unwell” after speech to military leaders

A Democratic member of Congress is calling on President Donald Trump’s allies to confront him about his health, saying they should tell him he is “unwell” following a recent presidential address to military leaders.

In a CNN interview, Rep. Madeleine Dean of Pennsylvania said it was “extraordinarily dangerous, reckless and vain” for Trump and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth to assemble “more than 800 military leaders from the around the globe” for what she described as a “bizarre” and “meandering” speech. Dean said the president, 79, spoke about “how he walks on stairs, what wars he solved, that he doesn’t like the design of battleships,” adding, “Does he want them to be gold or something?” She continued: “I am gravely worried for the leadership of the United States. I want this president to succeed. But it is clear to me that he is unwell. And I think the people around him have to recognize that, and go to him, and admit it to him.”

Rep. Madeleine Dean said President Trump appears markedly different from his first term—slower and more lethargic—and warned that his recent comments were dangerous because they could make other countries question the United States’ reliability as a partner. She added that some generals initially tried to take notes during his remarks but gave up because they found them incoherent.

Dean also recounted approaching House Speaker Mike Johnson after the address, telling him the president was “unhinged” and “unwell.” Johnson, she said, replied that many Democrats were as well and that he does not control the president. When Dean pointed to the performance before the generals, Johnson said he hadn’t seen it. Dean responded that the situation was dangerous, citing her roles on the Foreign Affairs and Appropriations committees and asserting that allies are looking elsewhere while adversaries are emboldened, concluding that the president is unwell.

In a statement to the Daily Beast, White House spokesperson Abigail Jackson declined to address Trump’s health or leadership and criticized Dean—misspelling her name—and former President Joe Biden: “Madeline Dean played a leading role in covering up Biden’s decline and insisting there was nothing wrong with him after the entire country saw his brain melt on the debate stage after months of him failing to remember his own name. No one knows who this back bench House member is, and if they do, they know she has no credibility to talk about this.”

The article adds that, aside from his address to senior military officials, Trump devoted time this week to sharing AI-generated videos and memes and “trolling Democrats” after Congress missed a funding deal and the government shut down at midnight on Tuesday. It further notes rising concerns that the president could be showing signs of dementia alongside chronic venous insufficiency, pointing to noticeable ankle swelling and a prominent bruise on his right hand that he has attempted to hide. The White House has said the president does not have any major health problems.