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I'm Megna Chuck Rubardi and this is on Point. Actually, this is the jackpot where on Point news analyst Jack Beatty helps us connect history, literature and politics in a way that brings unique clarity to the world we live in now.

So hello there Jack.

Hello Megna.

And all of a sudden we're at episode 7, which is remarkable.

I would say episode 7 of an infinite number going forward into the future but

what's today's headline for you?

Well today's headline is the word pathologize

defined by the Oxford Dictionary as, quote,

to regard or treat someone as psychologically abnormal

or unhealthy, in short, psychiatric name calling. It's figuring in this campaign, both

with Trump, Trump, you know, casually and not so casually called crazy and Biden called senile.

So it's it's it's playing a role in this campaign for sure

and we're gonna hear more about it.

Okay, so I'm glad you said that you're going to focus specifically on on Trump and Biden because I can think of a lot of pathologies in American politics right now.

But is there a reason why you pick this in particular? Has it

been an issue in American history in the past? Oh indeed.

psychiatric name calling has a very dubious history in presidential politics.

Just to skim the surface in 1896, William Jennings Bryan,

Brian, the New York Times asserted

...