Newly released footage shows Democratic Representative Madeleine Dean confronting House Speaker Mike Johnson on Capitol Hill, with Johnson appearing to acknowledge that former President Donald Trump may be “unwell.”
Earlier footage had captured Dean questioning Johnson on Tuesday about a racist, AI-generated video of Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries that Trump posted on Truth Social. The newly aired clips, shown Wednesday on MSNBC’s All In with Chris Hayes, include Dean telling Johnson, “The president is unhinged. He is unwell.” Johnson responds, “A lot of folks on your side are too, I don’t control him,” which some interpret as a partial agreement with Dean’s assertion while deflecting responsibility.
The Daily Beast reached out to both the White House and Speaker Johnson for comment.
Dean criticized Trump’s behavior further, referencing a disjointed address he delivered to senior military leaders earlier that day. “Oh my God, please. That performance in front of the generals?” she said. Johnson admitted he had not watched the speech, replying, “I didn’t see it.” Dean persisted, emphasizing the potential risks: “It’s so dangerous! You know I serve on Foreign Affairs and Appropriations, it’s a collision of those two things. Our allies are looking elsewhere. Our enemies are laughing. You have a president who is unwell.”
Fact-checkers have highlighted numerous inaccuracies in Trump’s military address, with CNN noting false claims such as suggesting President Joe Biden intended to disband the Space Force and that he allowed 25 million immigrants into the U.S.
Speculation about Trump’s health continues, with concerns raised regarding possible dementia alongside physical issues linked to chronic venous insufficiency. The White House has denied any major health problems.
Additional footage of the confrontation shows Dean urging Johnson to exercise leadership, stating, “We need you desperately to lead.” When later questioned about the exchange by CNN’s Kaitlan Collins, Johnson described it as a routine interaction: “I’m the Speaker of the House, so I represent Republicans and Democrats in that capacity, and I always hear complaints and concerns from members, and I always stop and hear that. I did that for Madeleine Dean; I respect her as an individual.” He added that while he disagreed with Dean’s perspective on the social media post, he aimed to refocus on broader legislative priorities, emphasizing government operations.
The confrontation originated from Trump’s AI-manipulated video of Schumer and Jeffries, in which Jeffries was depicted with a mustache and a sombrero, while an AI-generated voice had Schumer speaking with mariachi music in the background.
