Former McCain aide on Trump: 'I'm not a psychiatrist, but there is something wrong with [the] guy'

Mark Salter, who was a top aide to Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) during the the 2008 presidential election, is convinced there are some screws loose in Donald Trump's head. "I think he could come apart, you know, in some kind of visible way," Salter said of the presumptive GOP nominee on Politico's "Off Message" podcast this week. "I think that's quite possible. ... I'm not a psychiatrist, but there is something wrong with [the] guy."
Trump's "unstable personality," Salter says, is one of many reasons he will be voting for a Democrat for president for the first time in his life in November. "I'm sure 10 minutes into Hillary Clinton’s inaugural address I’ll sort of be disappointed," Salter said. "... But she is the more conservative choice and the least reckless one. She won't — or at least she hasn't said that she would — take the U.S. out of NATO. She hasn't encouraged other nations to get their own nuclear weapons. She hasn't threatened to slap a 45 percent tariff on imported goods."
Listen to the podcast, and the rest of Salter's digs on Trump, below. Becca Stanek
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
-
Kill the Boer: Elon Musk and the anti-apartheid song
Under the radar Billionaire reignites controversy by linking South African 'struggle song' to 'white genocide'
By Elizabeth Carr-Ellis, The Week UK Published
-
Critics’ choice: Restaurants worthy of their buzz
feature A fun bistro, a reservation worth the wait, and a modern twist on Mexican dishes
By The Week US Published
-
Film reviews: Snow White, Death of a Unicorn, and The Alto Knights
Feature A makeover for Disney’s first animated feature, greedy humans earn nature’s wrath, and a feud between crime bosses rattles the mob
By The Week US Published
-
Sen. Booker's 25-hour speech beats Thurmond
Speed Read He spoke for the longest time in recorded Senate history, protesting the Trump administration's policies
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Bondi seeks death penalty for Luigi Mangione
Speed Read Mangione was charged with fatally shooting UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson last year
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
-
Democrats win costly Wisconsin court seat
Speed Read Democrats prevailed in an election for the Wisconsin Supreme Court despite Elon Musk's robust financial support of the Republican candidate
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
WHCA rejects White House press seating grab
Speed Read The White House Correspondents' Association objected to the Trump administration's bid to control where journalists sit during press briefings
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
-
Trump sends more migrants to El Salvador jail
Speed Read Another 17 Venezuelan alleged gang members have been deported to a notorious prison
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Trump 'not joking' about unconstitutional 3rd term
Speed Read The president seems to be serious about seeking a third term in 2028
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
The JFK files: the truth at last?
In The Spotlight More than 64,000 previously classified documents relating the 1963 assassination of John F. Kennedy have been released by the Trump administration
By The Week Staff Published
-
Supreme Court upholds 'ghost gun' restrictions
Speed Read Ghost guns can be regulated like other firearms
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published