Retired Army colonel psychiatrist pinpoints 'delusional' Trump’s 'narcissistic rage'

U.S. President Donald Trump at the White House in Washington, D.C., U.S., April 13, 2026. REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst

Questions about U.S. President Donald Trump's mental health have lingered during both of his terms, with his niece, psychologist Mary Trump, often saying that he has major mental health issues. But those questions have been heating up thanks to a series of recent events, including Trump threatening to wipe out a "whole civilization" in Iran and hurling insults at Pope Leo XIV.

The Independent's Rhian Lubin examines the debate over President Trump's mental health in an article published on April 14, and the interviewees laid out some reasons why they're worried.

Dr. Geoff Grammer, a Maryland-based psychiatrist and retired U.S. Army colonel, told The Independent, "One of the things that we need to consider is that he is drifting more into a natural state, being fed by the sycophants that are around him, and developing almost, like, this delusional level of narcissism…. The reality is, there's a large differential of things that it could be, including him feeling trapped and developing narcissistic rage. It could be that he's becoming disinhibited, but it could also be that he is just drifting to who he naturally is."

Grammer, Lubin notes, "is one of a growing number of mental health professionals sounding the alarm about Trump's erratic behavior."

"While critics have long claimed that Trump is mentally unfit for office," Lubin observes, "the concern over his recent social media outbursts — which appear to have gone beyond his usual bluster — has reached new heights amid the war with Iran."

Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-Maryland) is calling for a cognitive evaluation of the president, who he says "has been exhibiting signs consistent with dementia and cognitive decline."

According to Shari Botwin, a Philadelphia-based trauma therapist/author, Trump's recent rants show "some possible narcissistic traits" and might reflect a "need for validation and recognition."

Botwin told The Independent, "It could suggest that he is having a heightened emotional reactivity, which could indicate that he is experiencing anxiety, fear, or his own frustration. His threats to wipe out a civilization demonstrate his own projection to maintain strength and control…. The lack of empathy that comes through in his posts can be alarming and indicate that he has no regard for the suffering of other human beings."

Botwin continued, "In many cases, when someone is using aggressive rhetoric, it often serves as a defense mechanism to mask one's own vulnerability or insecurity. The provocative language that he is using also suggests some possible narcissistic traits, where he is drawing attention to himself and overriding the possible consequences of his messaging."

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