Media: Slovak PM shocked by Trump's mental state after Mar-a-Lago meeting

Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico told European leaders on 22 January at an emergency EU summit in Brussels that he had been shocked by the mental state of US President Donald Trump.

Two diplomats told Politico that Fico, one of the few EU leaders who often aligns with Trump on Europe's perceived weaknesses, expressed concern about the US president's "psychological state".

They said Fico had used the word "dangerous" to describe how Trump appeared during their private meeting at Trump's Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida on 17 January.

The diplomats noted that Fico had made his comments during a separate informal meeting with several EU leaders and senior officials, not during official roundtable talks.

Politico stated that diplomats from four different EU governments, as well as a senior EU official, had said they did not know what Trump had said to Fico to provoke such a reaction.

Fico's remarks are particularly notable as he is considered one of Europe's most pro-Trump politicians. He boasted about his access to the US president and expressed support for Washington's approach to the Russo-Ukrainian war in a Facebook video following the Mar-a-Lago meeting. Fico spoke at the Conservative Political Action Conference a year ago, telling Americans that "your president is doing Europe a great service".

Fico's spokesperson did not respond to multiple requests for comment from Politico. Meanwhile, Anna Kelly, a White House spokesperson, described the reports as "absolutely total fake news from anonymous European diplomats who are trying to be relevant". She went on to say: "The meeting at Mar-a-Lago was positive and productive."

An unnamed senior White House official present at the meeting said they could not recall any awkward moments or exchanges, adding that the meeting Fico had requested "was pleasant, normal and included some lighthearted exchanges that were captured by a White House photographer".

Fico announced on 27 January that Slovakia would decline to join Donald Trump's newly established "Board of Peace".

"I am saying this on my own behalf: I believe the Slovak Republic should respectfully decline this invitation so that we no longer spend time on it. Nevertheless, Slovakia will remain a country that has always called for, and will continue to call for, peace. You know that whether it is Gaza, Ukraine or other countries, we say: a peaceful solution, a peaceful solution and again a peaceful solution," he said.

The US Congress intends to invoke the 25th Amendment to the US Constitution, which allows for the temporary removal of a president if they are unable to perform their duties.

The idea was put forward by Democratic Party Representative Yassamin Ansari in the House of Representatives.

As evidence of Trump’s mental illness, the congresswoman attached a letter from Trump to the Prime Minister of Norway, in which he linked his statements about intending to take control of Greenland to the fact that he was not awarded the Nobel Peace Prize.