Opinion: Is Trump mentally fit to be president? It’s time for some ‘extreme vetting.’

To the editor: Dr. Prudence L. Gourguechon, a psychiatrist and psychoanalyst, makes a critical point: Since the president is the commander in chief of the United States’ armed forces, there is no valid reason why the guidelines articulated in the Army’s “Field Manual 6-22 Leader Development” should not apply to him. (“Is Trump mentally fit to be president? Let’s consult the U.S. Army’s field manual on leadership,” Opinion, June 16)

Gourguechon writes that the manual “articulates the core faculties that officers, including commanders, need in order to fulfill their jobs.” On what basis, then, should the commander in chief, of all people, be exempt from having those core faculties?

Answer: None. The U.S. Army’s Field Manual has served this country well. It’s time to apply it in support of 25th Amendment proceedings.

Marta Vago, Santa Monica

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To the editor: Gourguechon distills five crucial qualities from the U.S. Army’s field manual on leadership that she thinks should be used in evaluating whether someone has the mental capacities to carry out the powers and duties of the presidency.

Many will be quick to evaluate President Trump against these criteria, but let’s not stop there. How would Hillary Clinton stack up?

She would do well on discipline and critical thinking. However, on trust (don’t even ask), self-awareness (she has blamed numerous factors beyond herself for her election loss) and empathy (she seems not to have much for the “deplorables”), she falls far short.

What does it say about politics in our country that the two people most recently nominated for president are so deficient in leadership qualities? Should we just put the military in charge?

Gerry Swider, Sherman Oaks

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To the editor: This president is severely lacking in all five categories presented by Gourguechon. One of his biggest defaults is the constant self-promotion, and of course there are many others, such as the fact that he unfairly blames everyone. He of course is totally flawless.

If Trump was ever to admit that he was actually in the wrong, I might give him the benefit of the doubt. Wouldn’t it be lovely?

Christine Peterson, Woodland Hills

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