US Democratic Representative Madeleine Dean on Wednesday confronted House Speaker Mike Johnson, a Republican from Texas, urging him to respond to comments made by President Donald Trump during his address to military generals at Quantico, Virginia.
"The president is unhinged. He is unwell," Dean, who represents Pennsylvania's 4th Congressional District, told Johnson in front of a crowd and cameras, warning that Trump's behaviour could send the wrong signals to his allies.
Johnson immediately replied, "A lot of folks on your side are, too. I don't control him."
Dean said a recent presidential performance in front of generals was "so dangerous," adding, "Our allies are looking elsewhere. Our enemies are laughing."
"That is so dangerous. You know, I serve on Foreign Affairs and Appropriations. This is a collision of those two things," she added. Johnson quipped, "I didn't see it."
Earlier, on Tuesday at Quantico Marine Corps Base, Trump addressed hundreds of senior military officials in a 72-minute speech, as the US government edged toward a possible spending shutdown.
He began by saying that under his leadership, the US military was "reawakening the warrior spirit." However, the speech quickly took on a more political tone, which is unusual since past presidents typically avoid domestic politics when speaking to troops.
This drew an unusually long silence from the audience, which he noticed immediately.
He said, "I never walked into a room so silent before. If you want to applaud, you applaud. You can do anything you want," according to PEOPLE, adding, "If you don't like what I'm saying, you can leave the room. But, there goes your rank and there goes your future."
Before heading to Quantico, Trump earlier told the reporters that he planned to meet top generals, admirals, and other military leaders. He said that if he didn't like someone during the meetings, he would fire them immediately.
