Trump saying he's a "very stable genius" is like Nixon saying "I'm not a crook."
Republicans privately tell me they're concerned about Trump's fitness for office, yet publicly they continue to protect him. Congress has a responsibility to check the power of the Executive Branch. pic.twitter.com/pbiQp3RZo6— Rep. Dan Kildee (@RepDanKildee) January 7, 2018
Rep. Dan Kildee (D-MI) over the weekend asserted that Donald Trump's claim that he is a "stable genius" is further evidence that the president is not fit for office.
In a tweet on Saturday, Trump pushed back on claims about his mental health that have been raised by Michael Wolff's new book, Fire and Fury: Inside Trump's White House.
....to President of the United States (on my first try). I think that would qualify as not smart, but genius....and a very stable genius at that!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 6, 2018
"People who have to say they're smart or say they're stable are not usually smart or stable," Kildee told CNN's Ana Cabrera. "It's almost as if the president [Richard Nixon] has to say he's not a crook. And what did we find out about that statement a few decades ago?"
"This is a dangerous time," the Democratic lawmaker said. "Congress has authority that it ought to exercise to reign in this president."
Kildee noted that Republicans have privately told him that they do not believe the president is fit for office.
"But publicly and officially, they are falling all over themselves to protect this president from legitimate inquiry and oversight," he added. "And that is very dangerous."
