> In her book, Stahl noted that she “had come that close to reporting that Reagan was senile. I had every intention of telling the American people what I had observed in the Oval Office.” But she didn’t. This week, I asked her why not. In an email, she replied,
>
> ```
> Because Reagan seemed to "recover"—I decided I could not go out on the White House lawn and tell the public what his behavior meant. So I never did a report.
>
> ```
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### Author:  [@UltraVires](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UltraVires)
#### Post date: [October 27, 2012, 7:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-doctors-remove-a-mentally-ill-president-from-office/639055/6 "2012-10-27T19:53:39Z")
> [@aceplace57](#):
>
> There is a natural reluctance for a president to step down. No matter how ill. Wilson had a stroke and his wife took on his office work. I’ve heard the same about Eisenhower after his heart attack. Roosevelt was already very sick when he ran for his last term and the public was never warned.
All pre-25th amendment, and all likely played a part in enacting Section 4.
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### Author:  [@Donnerwetter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Donnerwetter)
#### Post date: [October 27, 2012, 8:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-doctors-remove-a-mentally-ill-president-from-office/639055/7 "2012-10-27T20:08:37Z")
Some thoughts from an earlier thread:
[http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/archive/index.php/t-649458.html](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/archive/index.php/t-649458.html)
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### Author:  [@Amateur\_Barbarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Amateur_Barbarian)
#### Post date: [October 27, 2012, 8:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-doctors-remove-a-mentally-ill-president-from-office/639055/8 "2012-10-27T20:26:48Z")
> [@jtgain](#):
>
> No need for impeachment. A quick cabinet meeting, and a letter to Congress. 1/2 hour.
Without getting too Tom Clancy here, what would we do if the President showed up on TV looking hale and sane while the VP and Cabinet said otherwise?
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### Author:  [@Ethilrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ethilrist)
#### Post date: [October 27, 2012, 8:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-doctors-remove-a-mentally-ill-president-from-office/639055/9 "2012-10-27T20:35:38Z")
Is DC an at-will employment state?
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### Author:  [@UltraVires](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UltraVires)
#### Post date: [October 27, 2012, 8:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-doctors-remove-a-mentally-ill-president-from-office/639055/10 "2012-10-27T20:37:49Z")
> [@NitroPress](#):
>
> Without getting too Tom Clancy here, what would we do if the President showed up on TV looking hale and sane while the VP and Cabinet said otherwise?
Call your congressman:
[QUOTE=25th amendment, the rest of Section 4]
Thereafter, when the President transmits to the President pro tempore of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives his written declaration that no inability exists, he shall resume the powers and duties of his office unless the Vice President and a majority of either the principal officers of the executive department or of such other body as Congress may by law provide, transmit within four days to the President pro tempore of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives their written declaration that the President is unable to discharge the powers and duties of his office. Thereupon Congress shall decide the issue, assembling within forty-eight hours for that purpose if not in session. If the Congress, within twenty-one days after receipt of the latter written declaration, or, if Congress is not in session, within twenty-one days after Congress is required to assemble, determines by two-thirds vote of both Houses that the President is unable to discharge the powers and duties of his office, the Vice President shall continue to discharge the same as Acting President; otherwise, the President shall resume the powers and duties of his office.
[/QUOTE]
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### Author:  [@Sunspace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunspace)
#### Post date: [October 27, 2012, 9:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-doctors-remove-a-mentally-ill-president-from-office/639055/11 "2012-10-27T21:53:26Z")
What if the President went on TV, held up The Button That Launches The Missiles (like any of us would actually know what it looks like), and started ranting about nuking the invading purple space bunnies? How drastic does the behaviour have to be, for the doctors to intervene?
Would a sudden _change_ in behaviour be more important than what the behaviour actually is? (After all, the President could have been elected on a Nuke the Space Bunnies platform…)
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### Author:  [@UltraVires](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UltraVires)
#### Post date: [October 27, 2012, 10:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-doctors-remove-a-mentally-ill-president-from-office/639055/12 "2012-10-27T22:00:48Z")
> [@Sunspace](#):
>
> What if the President went on TV, held up The Button That Launches The Missiles (like any of us would actually know what it looks like), and started ranting about nuking the invading purple space bunnies? How drastic does the behaviour have to be, for the doctors to intervene?
>
> Would a sudden _change_ in behaviour be more important than what the behaviour actually is? (After all, the President could have been elected on a Nuke the Space Bunnies platform…)
Doctors have nothing to do with it. (Except as part of a Congressional deliberation described in the 25th amendment, section 4).
If a majority of his cabinet say he’s unfit, he’s unfit. If going on TV with the nuke button means a majority of his cabinet saying he is unfit, the VP takes over until Congress ultimately decides.
ETA: New procedures provide that email is a “writing.” Once President Maniac started his speech, the Iphones and Android devices could start chirping and have an email chain sent to the Speaker and the President Pro Temp. Within a minute or two, the VP could be in charge.
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### Author:  [@Chimera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chimera)
#### Post date: [October 27, 2012, 10:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-doctors-remove-a-mentally-ill-president-from-office/639055/13 "2012-10-27T22:08:26Z")
> [@Ethilrist](#):
>
> Is DC an at-will employment state?
😛 Loved this response. Why yes, I did laugh out loud.
Yes, but it’s the “Will Of The People”.
> [@Sunspace](#):
>
> What if the President went on TV, held up The Button That Launches The Missiles (like any of us would actually know what it looks like), and started ranting about nuking the invading purple space bunnies? How drastic does the behaviour have to be, for the doctors to intervene?
There would be widespread panic as members of the President’s political party went batshit nuts and supporting media reported on the Space Bunny Menace.
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### Author:  [@alphaboi867](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/alphaboi867)
#### Post date: [October 28, 2012, 1:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-doctors-remove-a-mentally-ill-president-from-office/639055/14 "2012-10-28T01:43:51Z")
> [@jtgain](#):
>
> …If a majority of his cabinet say he’s unfit, he’s unfit. If going on TV with the nuke button means a majority of his cabinet saying he is unfit, the VP takes over until Congress ultimately decides…
A majority of the cabinet _and the Vice-President_ need to say he’s unfit. The 25th amendent doesn’t provide a process for declaring the President unfit while the Vice-Presidency is vacant.
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### Author:  [@Springtime\_for\_Spacers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Springtime_for_Spacers)
#### Post date: [October 28, 2012, 1:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-doctors-remove-a-mentally-ill-president-from-office/639055/15 "2012-10-28T01:59:16Z")
> [@NitroPress](#):
>
> Consider that Nixon was probably clinically mentally ill in the last months of his Presidency, and a number in his cabinet have said he was being watched closely. The “chewing the aspirin bottle open” incident is reasonably verified, and Alexander Haig had reportedly cautioned the JCOS and other high military officials to check with him should any “unusual” orders come from the Oval Office.
Coulod you explain this incident please, this thread is the top result on google for “Nixon chewing aspirin bottle”.
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### Author:  [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)
#### Post date: [October 28, 2012, 3:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-doctors-remove-a-mentally-ill-president-from-office/639055/16 "2012-10-28T03:55:10Z")
The White House has a very large staff and Nixon could have easily gotten them to open the bottle. The image of the President twisting it with his teeth is a bit disturbing.
> [@](#):
>
> As recounted by then-reporters Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein, Nixon asked Kissinger to open a bottle of aspirin for him. Kissinger obliged and, in the process, reportedly noticed teeth-marks that had been left by the president in the child-proof plastic cap.
[http://www.chron.com/CDA/archives/archive.mpl/1999\_3157409/nixon-resigns-watergate-scandal-was-a-watershed-ev.html](http://www.chron.com/CDA/archives/archive.mpl/1999_3157409/nixon-resigns-watergate-scandal-was-a-watershed-ev.html)