A forensic psychiatrist and president of the World Mental Health Coalition praised some of the accomplishments of Adolf Hitler while criticizing President Trump in a now-deleted tweet.
“Donald Trump is not an Adolf Hitler,” Bandy X. Lee tweeted. “At least Hitler improved the daily life of his followers, had discipline, and required more of himself to gain the respect of his followers. Even with the same pathology, there are varying degrees of competence.”
Lee edited 2017 New York Times bestselling book The Dangerous Case of Donald Trump, which contains essays from 27 mental health professionals who argue Trump is a “clear and present danger” and that his mental health makes him “incapable of competently discharging the duties of President of the United States.”
Lee has a long history of being critical of Trump, going as far as calling his administration a “violent regime” and comparing his supporters to those who supported Hitler in Nazi Germany.
After facing backlash for the tweet, Lee deleted it and posted an explanation.
“Okay, I have taken it down, since it has upset so many people and was not provoking thought but the opposite,” Lee said. “Of note, my statement was about how little Donald Trump believes he needs to do to retain his followership, NOT to minimize Adolf Hitler’s atrocities.”
Okay, I have taken it down, since it has upset so many people and was not provoking thought but the opposite. Of note, my statement was about how little Donald Trump believes he needs to do to retain his followership, NOT to minimize Adolf Hitler’s atrocities.
— Bandy X Lee, MD, MDiv (@BandyXLee1) November 2, 2020
In another follow-up tweet, Lee explained that her statement was an attempt to encourage people to learn from history.
“If we cannot look at the parallels in history and learn from them, we are truly poised to repeat it,” Lee said. “I say so in heartbreak for the 11+ million lives lost, not in their minimization (currently, we are looking at 7 billion at risk, without exaggeration if we soberly thought of it).”
If we cannot look at parallels in history and learn from them, we are truly poised to repeat it. I say so in heartbreak for the 11+ million lives lost, not in their minimization (currently, we are looking at 7 billion at risk, without exaggeration if we soberly thought of it).
— Bandy X Lee, MD, MDiv (@BandyXLee1) November 2, 2020
Lee did not immediately respond to the Washington Examiner’s request for comment on the deleted tweet.
Editor’s note: This post was updated to remove that Bandy X. Lee is currently affiliated with Yale University.
