# Hypothetically, what if an ex-President loses it and starts spilling state secrets? **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [October 19, 2019, 5:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hypothetically-what-if-an-ex-president-loses-it-and-starts-spilling-state-secrets/841989 "2019-10-19T05:11:17Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2019, 4:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hypothetically-what-if-an-ex-president-loses-it-and-starts-spilling-state-secrets/841989/41 "2019-10-24T16:51:31Z")
> [@Regallag\_The\_Axe](#): > > If it solves the problem of unauthorized jaw-flapping who cares? Apparently I care, since I asked the question. ---
**Author:** ![Ravenman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ravenman/32/2929_2.png) [@Ravenman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ravenman)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2019, 5:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hypothetically-what-if-an-ex-president-loses-it-and-starts-spilling-state-secrets/841989/42 "2019-10-24T17:02:05Z")
> [@Max\_S](#): > > Neither do I. Do the proponents of prosecuting the ex-president have any objection to essentially spouse-approved and secret-service implemented exile and seclusion as preferable to criminal or other public trial and involuntary commitment? Assuming they have a doctor’s blessing. Depends on the exact circumstances, like the degree to which national security was damaged by previous leaks, whether or not there’s an actual medical condition in play, and probably some other things. What I do not approve of is a doctor taking on the role of law enforcement/national security specialist/plumber who stops the leaks. That’s not legal or ethical on many, many levels. ---
**Author:** ![Max\_S](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/46a35a/32.png) [@Max\_S](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Max_S)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2019, 5:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hypothetically-what-if-an-ex-president-loses-it-and-starts-spilling-state-secrets/841989/43 "2019-10-24T17:14:23Z")
> [@bizerta](#): > > One of my concerns is a lame-duck, vindictive President pardoning all the felons in a state that voted to impeach (or voted him out of office). Perhaps there are other ways of payback, like cancelling funding for a highway, or dissolving a military base out of spite. Respectfully, I don’t think that concern is relevant to how we deal with an ex-president with dementia who unwittingly leaks classified information to visitors. ~Max ---
**Author:** ![Max\_S](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/46a35a/32.png) [@Max\_S](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Max_S)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2019, 5:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hypothetically-what-if-an-ex-president-loses-it-and-starts-spilling-state-secrets/841989/44 "2019-10-24T17:17:54Z")
> [@Czarcasm](#): > > Would it be because he deserves special treatment, or because you don’t want to offend his fans? Neither, actually. Even if it weren’t the president, I imagine a court of law would prefer the defendant’s family stepping in to state intervention - provided the person is not still a danger to himself or others under those arrangements. The ex-president already has secret service agents there to protect him - if the spouse and agents can work something out, I say it’s a win-win. ~Max ---
**Author:** ![Max\_S](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/46a35a/32.png) [@Max\_S](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Max_S)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2019, 5:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hypothetically-what-if-an-ex-president-loses-it-and-starts-spilling-state-secrets/841989/45 "2019-10-24T17:20:50Z")
> [@Ravenman](#): > > Depends on the exact circumstances, like the degree to which national security was damaged by previous leaks, whether or not there’s an actual medical condition in play, and probably some other things. I can go with that. > [@Ravenman](#): > > What I do not approve of is a doctor taking on the role of law enforcement/national security specialist/plumber who stops the leaks. That’s not legal or ethical on many, many levels. Neither do I. For the purposes of this question, I am assuming that the diagnosis is already confirmed: the ex-president actually suffers from dementia and thinks he is briefing intelligence officials. ~Max ---
**Author:** ![Velocity](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/velocity/32/18006_2.png) [@Velocity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Velocity)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2019, 8:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hypothetically-what-if-an-ex-president-loses-it-and-starts-spilling-state-secrets/841989/46 "2019-10-24T20:36:26Z")
Is dementia selective? ISTM that if someone’s brain has declined to the point where they can’t recognize who people or what they are doing, that they’d also have a hard time retaining details such as the names of spies or the codenames of programs at Area 51. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2019, 8:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hypothetically-what-if-an-ex-president-loses-it-and-starts-spilling-state-secrets/841989/47 "2019-10-24T20:43:32Z")
How has it been handled in the past when holders of high secrets have lost their reason? ---
**Author:** ![XT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/xt/32/456_2.png) [@XT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/XT)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2019, 9:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hypothetically-what-if-an-ex-president-loses-it-and-starts-spilling-state-secrets/841989/48 "2019-10-24T21:51:51Z")
> [@Czarcasm](#): > > How has it been handled in the past when holders of high secrets have lost their reason? Sooper sekrit ninja assassins kill them with nano-thermite and bending bullets… ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2019, 9:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hypothetically-what-if-an-ex-president-loses-it-and-starts-spilling-state-secrets/841989/49 "2019-10-24T21:53:06Z")
Whatever happened to sending them to The Village or sending in Remo? ---
**Author:** ![snfaulkner](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snfaulkner/32/433_2.png) [@snfaulkner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/snfaulkner)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2019, 10:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hypothetically-what-if-an-ex-president-loses-it-and-starts-spilling-state-secrets/841989/50 "2019-10-24T22:28:53Z")
Send him to Detroit [/Dr. Klahn] [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hypothetically-what-if-an-ex-president-loses-it-and-starts-spilling-state-secrets/841989.md?page=2)