Former President Donald Trump will be 80 years old in June 2025. This, along with his recent combative and erratic behavior, has given cause for alarm regarding his mental and physical fitness. Mixed-up country references, peculiar statements, and a noticeable decline in public engagement have led to speculation about his cognitive abilities. Democrats are already getting ready to use these worries to make this one of their biggest themes in this year’s midterm elections.
In an otherwise serious discussion of a potential peace deal recently, Trump mistook Albania for Armenia, drawing the concern of international watchers. Such incidents are not isolated. Trump has gone further and made unscientific and inaccurate comments about autism, hoping to spread a bit of genius to babies. Such proclamations have only stoked speculation over his mental stability and soundness of judgment.
Trump reportedly has bragged about doing so well on an exam created to screen for early stages of dementia that he’s convinced his doctor that he’s perfectly healthy. Now, his conduct at the negotiating table has created even more uncertainty. Late meetings were often a problem Trump would doze off in the middle of high-level discussions. This included key scenes in the Oval Office and at a cabinet meeting. He frequently goes off on tangents. Instead of maintaining this admirable laser focus, he Zooms quickly into tangents on things like home furnishing or ocean dwellers.
As these meetings unfold, Trump’s mind tends to jump from subject to subject with little warning. Consider for instance the way that he went from talking about immigration to an extended tirade against windmills. And public appearances have often avoided coherence like the plague. Speeches often have annual tangential stories that go way off message.
The former president only wishes he had been so right. One of these is his claim that the Unabomber was educated by his uncle at MIT. These lies only add fuel to the increasingly bipartisan Trump Firestorm of concern for his truthfulness and mental alertness.
When it comes to public engagements, we see even more of an impact on Trump’s schedule—a huge drop-off in public activity. Official public appearances have decreased by 39% since his first term. These days, events typically start around noon and go till 5 PM. This materially truncated schedule only deepens concerns about his ability to meet the basic requirements that come with the immense public service responsibilities the office requires.
On top of all that, the substance of what Trump has said has frequently been bombastic and incendiary. Many criticized his incendiary remarks on Somali immigrants as “garbage,” bringing out a wave of rebuke that led to fears about the president’s opinion towards immigration. Furthermore, he publicly blamed filmmaker Rob Reiner for his own death in a recent statement, showcasing a pattern of blaming others for perceived grievances.
Trump’s behavior has led to endless commentary on his mental acuity and fitness for the highest office in the land. With the midterm elections around the corner, Democratic candidates would do well to make these points the centerpiece of their campaigns.
“Nothing bad can happen, it can only good happen.” – Donald Trump
Despite the mounting concerns surrounding his behavior, a White House spokesperson defended Trump’s mental acuity, asserting that “the mental sharpness is second to none.” This characterization stands in stark contradiction to the public record depicting Trump’s growing bombastic and erratic actions.
As political analysts consider the implications of Trump’s conduct, many are questioning whether these issues will resonate with voters in the upcoming elections. Democrats will be well-positioned to capitalize on every weakness in Trump’s second candidacy. In particular, they want to raise alarms regarding his mental fitness, as he prepares to recuperate for possible elusive re-election(s).
“There has never been anything like it.” – Donald Trump