New footage has surfaced showing Democratic Rep. Madeleine Dean clashing with House Speaker Mike Johnson on Capitol Hill, with Johnson appearing to acknowledge that Donald Trump is “unwell.”
The confrontation took place after a racist AI-generated video of Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries was shared by Trump on Truth Social. Dean confronted Johnson over the video on Tuesday, and in the latest footage aired on MSNBC’s All In with Chris Hayes, she says, “The president is unhinged. He is unwell,” reported the Daily Beast.
Johnson responds, “A lot of folks on your side are too, I don’t control him…” This response seemed to concede Dean’s point about Trump’s health, but Johnson’s remark also suggested that the issue is more widespread.
In response, Dean scoffs, “Oh my God, please. That performance in front of the generals?” She was referring to a rambling address Trump gave to senior military leaders earlier that day.
Johnson claimed not to have seen the president’s speech, saying, “I didn’t see it.” Unfazed, Dean pressed on, “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.”
The president’s speech to military leaders earlier that day had already drawn criticism for spreading misinformation. CNN fact-checked several claims, such as Trump’s assertion that President Joe Biden wanted to eliminate the Space Force, and his false claim that Biden allowed 25 million immigrants into the U.S.
Speculation around Trump’s health has been growing, with concerns that he may be dealing with dementia, in addition to physical health issues like chronic venous insufficiency. However, the White House has denied any major health concerns regarding the president.
Earlier footage of the exchange, published on Tuesday, also showed Dean urging Johnson to take charge, saying, “We need you desperately to lead.” When CNN’s Kaitlan Collins later asked Johnson about the confrontation, he said, “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.”
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 30, 2025
Johnson acknowledged that he and Dean disagreed on “every policy matter” but stressed that they discussed the president’s social media post, which he claimed Trump had intended as a joke. He added, “The fight tonight is not about social media posts. The fight is about where they’re going to keep the government open for the American people.”
Dean’s exchange with Johnson centred around a troubling video Trump posted, which featured an AI-generated image of Jeffries with a mustache and sombrero, while a dubbed Schumer spoke in front of reporters to mariachi music.
Speaking to CNN’s Manu Raju after the confrontation, Dean said Johnson had asked her rhetorically, “Is that really racist?” She didn’t hesitate to reply, “It’s really racist, it’s despicable, and he should have called it out.”
In the video, posted by NOTUS on Tuesday, Johnson can be heard asking, “Is it racist?” Dean’s response was blunt: “Is it racist? You put a sombrero on a Black man who’s the leader of the House? You don’t see that as racist?”
