Alright, letâs talk about Donald Trumpâthe man, the myth, the orange enigmaâand more specifically, his cognitive decline over the past decade. Love him or hate him, weâve all seen the interviews, the rally rants, and the incoherent word salads that leave you wondering, âWhat in the actual fuck did he just say?â This isnât just about political differences; this is about watching a manâs brain go from âfire and furyâ to something closer to âblender on the fritz.â
The Early Days: Trump in His Prime (Well, Sort Of)
Back in the 1980s and 1990s, Trump was sharpâin a sleazy real estate mogul kind of way. He was quick with his words, savvy with media, and could bullshit his way through anything. His interviews with Larry King or Barbara Walters showed a guy who, while full of himself, could at least string sentences together without sounding like he was choking on a Big Mac.
Fast forward to the last decade, though, and holy shit, what happened? Watching him speak today is like watching a drunken uncle try to explain cryptocurrency at Thanksgiving. The decline has been so obvious that even some of his most ardent supporters have quietly started scratching their heads.
The Symptoms: Word Salad Extra Crispy
One of the clearest signs of Trumpâs cognitive slip is his speech. Compare his interviews from 10 or 20 years ago to now, and the difference is staggering. Back then, his sentences had a beginning, middle, and end. Now, itâs all tangents, repetitions, and bizarre catchphrases.
Repetition: Trumpâs speeches are filled with endless loops of the same damn words. âItâs tremendous, just tremendous. People say itâs tremendous.â Itâs like heâs stuck in a verbal Groundhog Day.
Incoherence: Remember the âPerson. Woman. Man. Camera. TVâ moment? Thatâs the cognitive equivalent of trying to flex your muscles in a pool of Jello. He framed it as proof of his mental acuity, but it only highlighted how hard heâs trying to convince everyoneâincluding himselfâthat his brainâs still firing on all cylinders.
Tangents: Ask Trump a straightforward question, and youâll get a 10-minute monologue about windmills, Hillaryâs emails, and probably toilets that donât flush enough. Itâs like his brain throws a party every time it encounters a random thought, and weâre all forced to listen.
The Shit Show in Public Appearances
Trumpâs rallies are a masterclass in cognitive decline. Sure, heâs always been a rambler, but in recent years, itâs gotten out of control. Heâll start talking about the economy, then veer off into a diatribe about âanchors on TV who are very nasty, very bad,â and somehow end up talking about water pressure in showerheads. Itâs fucking exhausting to follow.
Then thereâs the slurring. People first noticed it during his 2017 Jerusalem speech, where he sounded like heâd just left the dentist. His defenders chalked it up to dry mouth, but itâs happened enough times since then to raise eyebrows. Combine that with his awkward shuffling down ramps and clutching glasses of water like theyâre filled with molten lava, and itâs hard not to wonder whatâs going on behind the scenes.
The Experts Weigh In
Hereâs where shit gets serious. Neurologists, psychiatrists, and even former White House staffers have speculated about what might be going on. To be clear, diagnosing someone from a distance isnât exactly kosher, but letâs face itâwhen the evidence is this loud, people are going to talk.
Dr. Bandy Lee, a forensic psychiatrist, has repeatedly pointed out Trumpâs erratic behavior and declining speech patterns as potential signs of cognitive issues.
George Conway (yeah, Kellyanneâs husband) has been screaming from the rooftops about Trumpâs mental fitness, calling his behavior âabnormal even for Trump.â
Mary Trump, his own niece and a clinical psychologist, has said outright that heâs in cognitive decline and has been for years. According to her, the stress of the presidency only made it worse.
The Decline in Real-Time
Letâs break down some of Trumpâs most WTF moments from the last decade that scream, âMy brain is on vacation.â
The Sharpie Hurricane Map: In 2019, Trump doubled down on his incorrect claim that Hurricane Dorian was headed for Alabama by literally altering a weather map with a Sharpie. Who does that? Thatâs not just stubbornâthatâs âIâm losing my grip on realityâ territory.
The Bleach Incident: During a COVID-19 briefing in 2020, Trump suggested injecting disinfectant as a potential cure. You could almost hear the collective gasp from scientists and medical professionals worldwide. Thatâs not just ignorance; thatâs a brain short-circuiting in real-time.
The Memory Lapse: Trumpâs inability to recall basic factsâlike peopleâs names, dates, or even what he said five minutes agoâhas become painfully obvious. Heâll often say, âA lot of people donât know this,â before stating something incredibly basic, as if heâs just learned it himself.
The Why Behind the Decline
So, what the hellâs causing all this? While we canât say for sure, there are a few theories:
Age: Trumpâs in his late 70s, and cognitive decline isnât uncommon at that age. But not everyone his age struggles to this degreeâlook at Bernie Sanders or Nancy Pelosi, who can still string together coherent arguments without sounding like theyâve been hit over the head.
Stress: Being president ages the shit out of anyone. Just look at before-and-after photos of any recent president. Trump, who thrives on chaos and confrontation, probably put his brain through the wringer.
Possible Health Issues: Some have speculated about dementia, mini-strokes, or even the long-term effects of a diet heavy on fast food and Diet Coke. His surprise trip to Walter Reed in 2019 raised a lot of questions, though the White House dismissed it as routine.
Why It Matters
This isnât just a fun exercise in armchair psychology. Trumpâs cognitive state affects millions of people. Whether itâs negotiating with foreign leaders, managing a crisis, or just understanding the basic fucking facts of a situation, mental fitness matters. When youâve got a guy who canât pronounce âYosemiteâ or remember which state heâs in, itâs a problem.
Plus, his decline has opened the door to even more misinformation. When Trump canât articulate a clear thought, his supporters and detractors alike fill in the blanks, creating a feedback loop of chaos.
The Final Word
Trumpâs cognitive decline isnât just about politics. Itâs about watching a man who once commanded attention for his sharp, if sleazy, wit, lose his grip on reality. Whether youâre laughing at his gaffes or horrified by the implications, one thingâs for sure: the last decade has been a wild, confusing ride.
Citations
Lee, B. (2020). The Dangerous Case of Donald Trump.
Mary Trump. (2020). Too Much and Never Enough: How My Family Created the Worldâs Most Dangerous Man.
Haberman, M. (2022). Confidence Man: The Making of Donald Trump and the Breaking of America.
CNN, âTrumpâs Jerusalem Speech Raises Health Questions,â 2017.
The Atlantic, âThe Bleach Moment and Its Fallout,â 2020.
Washington Post, âSharpie-Gate and the Hurricane That Wasnât,â 2019.
The New York Times, âTrumpâs Cognitive Test Results and What They Mean,â 2020.
