Index/Topics/Goldwater Rule

Goldwater Rule

The Goldwater Rule and its implications on the diagnosis of public figures without personal examination.

Fact-Checks

14 results
Jan 15, 2026
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Is Trump insane?

No credible consensus in the professional literature or mainstream reporting concludes that Donald Trump meets clinical criteria for "insanity" or a formal psychiatric diagnosis that would legally ren...

Jan 27, 2026
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How strong is the evidence that Donald Trump has dementia?

The publicly available evidence that has dementia is mixed and circumstantial: multiple clinicians and commentators point to changes in gait, speech, memory lapses and impulsivity as worrisome signs, ...

Jan 19, 2026
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What notable behaviors or statements by Donald Trump sparked concern about his mental state?

A series of public gaffes, apparent memory lapses, off‑topic ramblings and confrontational statements by Donald Trump have driven sustained concern among journalists, lawmakers and many mental‑health ...

Jan 27, 2026

How has Donald Trump's perceived mental state affected his political career?

’s perceived mental state has been a persistent political fault line that both damages and fuels his career: it energizes opponents and independent watchdogs while providing a rallying grievance for s...

Jan 26, 2026

is trump a lunatic in fact?

The question “” demands a distinction between clinical diagnosis and political or moral judgment: mainstream psychiatric ethics discourage diagnosing public figures without examination, but many clini...

Jan 17, 2026

What public evidence exists about Donald Trump’s cognitive assessments and medical disclosures?

Public evidence about Donald Trump’s cognitive assessments comprises a small set of official disclosures and media reporting: a 2018 Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) reportedly scored 30/30 (annou...

Jan 20, 2026

Which specific psychiatrists signed the 2017 and 2024 open letters about Trump, and what are their credentials?

Two distinct waves of public warnings by mental-health professionals about Donald Trump—first in 2017 and again in 2024—are documented in the sources, but the reportage does not provide a complete ros...

Jan 18, 2026

Which DSM criteria would be relevant to assess a U.S. president's fitness for office, and how have experts argued they apply to Trump?

The materials supplied focus overwhelmingly on President Trump’s 2025 reinstatement of the Presidential Fitness Test and public debate about physical fitness policy, not on formal psychiatric evaluati...

Jan 31, 2026

Which prominent psychiatrists have given TV interviews about Trump's mental state and how did their assessments differ?

Several prominent psychiatrists and forensic psychiatrists have publicly discussed ’s mental state in media interviews and public forums, but their platforms, claims, and the degree to which they offe...

Jan 22, 2026

Have official White House physicians or independent experts diagnosed Biden with dementia?

No official physician has publicly diagnosed with , and the White House has repeatedly denied he has Alzheimer’s or “any form of dementia” . Independent experts who have examined or publicly commented...

Jan 19, 2026

How do medical-ethics rules like the Goldwater rule govern clinicians’ public commentary on politicians’ mental health?

The Goldwater Rule is an ethical prohibition adopted by the American Psychiatric Association in 1973 that tells APA members not to offer professional opinions about the mental health of public figures...

Jan 16, 2026

Which fact‑checking organizations have published rulings on Donald Trump's health and cognitive test claims?

Only one dedicated fact‑checking organization is explicitly identified in the supplied reporting as having published rulings on Donald Trump’s health and cognitive‑test claims: FactCheck.org, which ap...

Jan 7, 2026

How have past presidential candidates been evaluated for psychopathy by experts?

Experts have evaluated presidential candidates and presidents for psychopathic traits using standardized psychometric tools and expert ratings, finding that some "boldness" traits linked to psychopath...

Jan 6, 2026

Is donald trump a Narcissist?

Public and professional observers overwhelmingly agree that Donald Trump exhibits textbook narcissistic traits—grandiosity, entitlement, need for admiration and low empathy—which many commentators and...