1. United States
2. Texas
3. Letter

I am writing to express my deep concern regarding President Donald Trump’s increasingly erratic behavior and statements, which suggest a dangerous detachment from reality. His recent speech at the Department of Justice, where he labeled judges “corrupt,” prosecutors “deranged,” and called for the imprisonment of his political enemies, is not only an unprecedented attack on the rule of law but also indicative of a man who sees himself as a king rather than a president. Trump declared himself the “chief law enforcement officer,” disregarding the long-standing independence of the Justice Department and vowing to reshape it in his image. This rhetoric is not just authoritarian—it is the language of someone who believes he is above the institutions meant to hold power in check. His claim that the DOJ has “weaponized” itself against him, while simultaneously pledging to purge his enemies from government, reveals an alarming pattern: accusing others of what he himself intends to do. Beyond his attacks on democracy, his recent public statements show signs of increasing confusion and detachment from basic reality. In a speech about firefighter safety, he bizarrely claimed that firefighters are being “shot off their ladders.” In reality, he seemed to confuse the phrase “shooting a ladder”—a term meaning to quickly deploy a ladder—with an actual attack on first responders. This level of incoherence from a sitting president is deeply unsettling, especially given his role as the nation’s highest executive authority. This is not the first time Trump has shown difficulty distinguishing fact from fiction. His continued insistence that the 2020 election was stolen, despite all evidence to the contrary, his claims that the DOJ has targeted him with “hoaxes,” and his pardoning of January 6th criminals as “political prisoners” all point to a leader increasingly unmoored from reality. The United States is not a monarchy, and yet, Trump behaves as though loyalty to him is a requirement for participation in government. He praises judges who rule in his favor while calling others “thugs.” He demands investigations not based on evidence, but on personal vendettas. He openly brags about using government institutions for revenge while portraying himself as the victim. This level of delusion and unchecked power is dangerous. I urge Congress, the media, and responsible officials to recognize the warning signs before we reach a point of no return. Our nation’s institutions were built to withstand political turmoil, but they were never designed to function under a leader who refuses to accept reality itself.