Top officials in the US government should now be asking themselves what to do about Donald Trump, whose increasingly erratic behaviour suggests the President may not be 'entirely with us', Peter Hitchens has argued.

Speaking to columnist Sarah Vine on the Daily Mail's Alas Vine & Hitchens podcast, Hitchens stated that while it would be 'rude and wrong' to attempt to diagnose Trump, there should be 'genuine alarm' over his fitness for office.

Vine agreed, saying that although the President has never understood 'the normal signals of human behaviour', his recent actions are 'mentally unstable' and verge on the 'psychopathic'.

In what has been a chaotic few weeks for the President, Trump has threatened to erase Iranian civilisation, posted an AI-generated image on Truth Social depicting himself as Christ, and started a war of words with both Pope Leo XIV and his former ally, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni.

Hitchens said: 'It seems to me that if somebody from another galaxy landed on Earth and heard the term 'mad mullah', they would not look towards Tehran but would think they must be referring to the President of the United States.

'Some say he is doing a madman president act to frighten people into doing his bidding. But how would we actually know that is true?

'The Jesus picture is particularly disturbing. How could any adult, educated person, sensitive to public opinion as any politician must be, not realise that posting a picture of yourself dressed as Jesus Christ would cause problems?

'I do not want to engage in diagnosing the President. It would be both rude and wrong and I am not qualified. But I think there is reason for genuine alarm over whether the person who has the power to order the firing of nuclear weapons is entirely with us.'

Vine went further, saying that 'without a shadow of a doubt' the President is mentally unstable.

She explained that even when Trump was merely a property mogul and television personality, he was known to 'behave inappropriately'.

But his decision-making has since become so lacking in empathy, she argued, that his behaviour can only be described as psychopathic.

She said: 'We know from past reports of Trump's behaviour that he is capable of acting with startling inappropriateness.

'I have a very close friend who, years ago, went to interview him at Mar-a-Lago. At the time, Trump was married to a beautiful, leggy supermodel. He turned to my friend and said: 'Isn't that an amazing ass!'

'They then went around his house and came to a large painting of him as a God-like, orange figure. He stood behind her and said: 'What a guy!'

'He doesn't understand the normal signals of human behaviour. He doesn't understand that it is not acceptable to swear in public, or to pretend to be Jesus. He just doesn't get it.

'His behaviour is that of a psychopath. He cannot empathise with people and he behaves in a way that is essentially antisocial. He has no boundaries at all.'

Hitchens warned that Trump's mental state will become a 'bigger and bigger issue' for the United States and the world, and that although the President's escapades can at times be amusing, the consequences of his actions are 'profoundly serious'.

He said: 'We should be careful about what we say and stay within the rules of civilised discourse.

'But I think it should go on record that those people in positions of high responsibility in the United States government really do need to consider what to do about this.'

To hear the full debate, search for Alas Vine and Hitchens now, wherever you get your podcasts.