Conservative Party Chairman Ralph Lorigo criticizes Republican process

A prominent psychologist revealed on Sunday some of the reasons why President Donald Trump rages at reports of his failing physical and mental health.

Trump has recently lashed out at The Wall Street Journal and The New York Times for reporting on his health. After The Journal published its report, Trump posted on Truth Social that he "aced" multiple cognitive exams. He has also called the NYT the "enemy of the people" and called for the outlet to be investigated for reporting on his health.

Dr. John Gartner, a psychologist and former professor, discussed why Trump has such extreme reactions to these reports on a new episode of "The Daily Beast Podcast."

"No story enrages Donald Trump more than the stories about his physical and cognitive health," Gartner said. "And there's a reason for that. One, he knows that he's covering something up, but two, as a malignant narcissist, the one thing you need to project is strength. It's okay to be hated and feared, but you have to appear strong. And so this is really it."

"Donald Trump's Achilles heel is his brain and now, I guess, a whole bunch of other organs," he continued. "His ankles, his heart, his his hands. His psychomotor performance is getting worse."

Gartner noted Trump's difficulty using the right side of his body, like when he was unable to perform a coinflip during the Army and Navy game, and his struggle saluting with his right hand. Gartner has also noted the right side of Trump's face drooping when he's fallen asleep, a sign that he may have recently had a stroke.

"He knows it's showing his Achilles heel and yet he can't stop the behavior because it's involuntary," Gartner said.

An evasive Trump told reporters on Thursday that the American citizen shot and killed by ICE "behaved horribly," but stumbled when reporters pressed him harder.

As news of the fatal shooting of an observer by Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents in Minneapolis began to spark outrage and protests, President Donald Trump took to his Truth Social platform to defend the officers' actions and falsely claim that the victim, Renee Nicole Good, was driving toward officers or even that an officer was hospitalized, none of which appears to be true from reporting or video footage.

New York Times reporters went on to confront Trump about these discrepancies on Thursday morning, and when put on the spot, he became evasive.

“She behaved horribly,” said Trump. “And then she ran him over. She didn’t try to run him over. She ran him over. I’ll play the tape for you right now.” Trump then had his assistant Natalie Harp bring over a laptop that played a slow-motion video of the shooting.

“With all of it being said, no, I don’t like that happening,” Trump added before the video played.

After Times reporters noted that the video didn't show any ICE officer being run over, Trump stumbled over his words, saying, “Well, I — the way I look at it — It’s a terrible scene. I think it’s horrible to watch. No, I hate to see it.”

Trump's claims that the shooting was justified have been echoed by Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, who said the officer “used his training to save his own life and that of his colleagues” from a woman who was "stalking" them.

The exact nature of what caused the officer to fire his weapon is not the only criticism ICE is facing; other reports have indicated the officers blocked a doctor who was on scene from rendering medical assistance after the shooting.