By Joel Gilbert
President Trump often uses the term “left wing lunatics” to describe the behavior of radical left politicians. Now, finally, an official court proceeding in the United States is set to rule on whether radical left politics is a mental illness.
The case involves Riddhi Patel, a 28-year-old Indian-American leftist activist who identifies as “non-binary”. “They” were born and raised in Bakersfield, California and worked as an Economic Development Coordinator for the Center on Race, Poverty & the Environment (CRPE), a nonprofit environmental justice organization that focuses on “supporting low-income and marginalized communities.” In her job, Patel “highlighted intersectionality within environmental justice” and “collective liberation for oppressed communities”. Patel reportedly volunteered for the Bernie Sanders 2020 presidential campaign as well.
In April 2024, Patel appeared at a city council meeting in Bakersfield, California. She stepped up to the microphone and delivered a furious speech about Gaza, metal detectors, oppressors, and revolution. She concluded her remarks with a blunt threat to the elected officials, “We’ll see you at your house, we’ll murder you.”
The statement stunned those in attendance. Council members halted the meeting and had Patel arrested. Prosecutors charged her under California Penal Code § 422, which criminalizes willful threats to commit acts that could result in death or great bodily injury, i.e. “terrorism”. Bail was initially set at $2 million, later reduced to $500,000, and Patel was released pending further proceedings.
Over the next year and a half, the case moved through Kern County courts with multiple delays. On November 4, 2025, Patel’s attorneys requested a postponement to pursue a mental health evaluation, arguing she might qualify for California’s mental health diversion program. On December 2, 2025, the court ordered a second mental evaluation and scheduled a diversion hearing for January 27, 2026 on the case.
Mental Health Diversion in California courts is a program designed for individuals whose criminal behavior is driven by clinical mental illness. Defendants can receive mental health treatment instead of facing traditional criminal prosecution. To be eligible, a defendant must be clinically diagnosed with a mental disorder. Also, a qualified mental health expert must state that the defendant’s mental disorder which motivated the criminal behavior would respond to mental health treatment.
However, Patel’s rhetoric at the council meeting was not a one-off explosion. Prior to its removal, Patel’s biography on the CRPE website stated that she “enjoys holding elected officials accountable.” Patel attended council meetings frequently, and inhabited a far-left world where nearly every institution and opposing opinion is labeled fascist, oppressive, or genocidal.
One of the defining traits of the modern left is its emotional inability to tolerate disagreement. Rather than engaging in civilized debate, many leftists respond with outrage, dismissal, and personal or even physical attacks when confronted with opposing political viewpoints.
Patel’s outburst reflects a broader national issue. Leftist activists like Patel increasingly act as though they can intimidate, or openly threaten, government officials and conservatives without fear of consequence, particularly when they believe their views are protected by alignment with the media and a dominant political party. Accountability is simply not expected.
If Riddhi Patel’s mental health evaluations come back with an official opinion that she suffers from mental disorders and mental illness, this will be an important milestone. And, if the California court then dismisses Patel’s case saying Patel’s threats were the product of a diagnosable mental disorder, and not merely political passion, the Patel case will reverberate far beyond the single courtroom in Kern County.
Such a ruling would force an uncomfortable reckoning for the Left. For years, extreme leftist rhetoric has been normalized, even celebrated, as “speaking truth to power.” But politics does not suspend the basic standards of mental health, nor does moral certainty exempt individuals from the consequences of losing control and behaving like genocidal monsters.
A Riddhi Patel ruling of mental illness will implicitly acknowledge that radical leftist political behavior is not simply an expression of belief, but a manifestation of psychological dysfunction that impairs judgment, self‑control, and moral reasoning.
Passionate disagreement is the lifeblood of democracy, while intimidation and threats are its poison. If the California court concludes that Riddhi Patel’s threats stemmed from mental illness rather than legitimate political views, it will provide a new national definition for the radical left. They can simply be referred to as “untreated mental patients”.
Joel Gilbert is a Los Angeles-based film producer and president of Highway 61 Entertainment. He is the producer of the new film Roseanne Barr Is America. He is also the producer of: Dreams from My Real Father, The Trayvon Hoax, Trump: The Art of the Insult, and many other films on American politics and music icons. Gilbert is on Twitter: @JoelSGilbert.
The post Are They Just Crazy? – California Court to Decide on Whether Being a Radical Leftist is a Mental Illness appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.