The White House and Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico on Thursday denied a report suggesting he had raised concerns about President Donald Trump’s mental health to other European leaders.
Politico, citing unnamed European diplomats, had reported that Fico, a nationalist ally of Trump, expressed worry about the U.S. president’s “psychological state” during a summit last week. The report also claimed Fico described Trump as “dangerous” following their meeting at Mar-a-Lago in Florida on Jan. 17.
“This is absolutely total fake news from anonymous European diplomats who are trying to be relevant. The meeting at Mar-a-Lago was positive and productive,” White House Deputy Press Secretary Anna Kelly said in a statement.
Fico strongly rejected the report as false, calling it “lies” in a post on X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter. Writing in capital letters, echoing Trump’s own style, Fico said: “I strongly reject the lies of the hateful, pro-Brussels liberal portal Politico.”
Without directly addressing Trump’s mental state, the Slovak leader clarified that he “did not speak informally with any prime minister or president about my visit to the U.S.” He added that no one witnessed any such comments, saying, “No one heard anything, no one saw anything, there are no witnesses, but nothing prevented the Politico portal from coming up with lies.”
Fico described his discussions with Trump as “exceptionally important,” emphasizing the positive nature of the Mar-a-Lago talks.
The physical and mental health of the 79-year-old Trump, the oldest person ever elected U.S. president, has become a sensitive subject in Washington. Trump, who will turn 80 in June, has frequently criticized his Democratic predecessor Joe Biden for age-related concerns, while touting his own vitality.
However, speculation about Trump’s health has grown, fueled by observations of frequent bruising on his hands and video footage of him appearing to doze during meetings. Despite this, both the White House and Fico have dismissed recent reports questioning his mental fitness as baseless.
