Politics - News Analysis

Trump’s Bizarre Forward-Leaning Stance Could Be an Early Symptom of Frontotemporal Dementia

First the disclaimers. One, the person who controls the Twitter account cited below is not a neurologist. He is not a doctor. He is an extremely well-educated economic-finance type who has had to do extensive research on PSP or Progressive Supranuclear Palsy, which is often associated with frontal lobe dementia. He went through it with a parent, each stage, talking to doctors and researching the topic. He lived it rather than studied it.

Next, I cannot independently confirm that this drawing is from an 1888 french doctor. It “looks like” one – but I cannot confirm it. I cannot see why Tom would “make it up,” he doesn’t appear to be that type. But I cannot independently confirm the drawing.

Having given those two caveats, look at this picture and ask yourself if one person doesn’t “jump” to mind. In fact, it almost seems weird that the picture was drawn before Trump was born.

Do you recall the picture from Stephen Miller’s wedding? Because it was my first thought:

In case you need to see more, there are many more.

What is frontotemporal dementia?

Frontotemporal dementia is an umbrella term for a group of uncommon brain disorders that primarily affect the frontal and temporal lobes of the brain. These areas of the brain are generally associated with personality, behavior and language.

In frontotemporal dementia, portions of these lobes shrink (atrophy). Signs and symptoms vary, depending on which part of the brain is affected. Some people with frontotemporal dementia have dramatic changes in their personality and become socially inappropriate, impulsive or emotionally indifferent, while others lose the ability to use language properly.

Frontotemporal dementia is often misdiagnosed as a psychiatric problem or as Alzheimer’s disease. But frontotemporal dementia tends to occur at a younger age than does Alzheimer’s disease. Frontotemporal dementia often begins between the ages of 40 and 65.

Trump is just at the outside “starting date” but some claim that he’s been symptomatic for quite some time.

I used to think it was nothing more than shoe lifts and possible issues with personal … cleanliness. (I am trying to be extremely conservative and “polite” because the elderly, indeed all of us, suffer from abnormalities that are not “faulted” or looked down upon).

But I am becoming less convinced that it could “only” be shoe lifts or trouble with continence. Trump’s father died with Alzheimer’s, which doesn’t mean that Trump has Alzheimers, but puts him at a much higher risk for the disease. Additionally, we can “see” the actual symptoms in Trump. Last, it is the Trump family, particularly Don Jr., most out in front of accusing Biden of having “dementia,” and we know that the Trump family loves projecting their weaknesses on others.

The one caveat that I will say is that up until recently, he golfed all the time, and it would be weird to be suffering such weird effects (I would think) and yet be able to keep one’s golf coordination. Though, to be sure, we don’t know if his golf game has deteriorated a lot recently, too.

But having seen that picture, I challenge anyone to “unsee it,” or look at Trump in the same way ever again.

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Peace, y’all

Jason

[email protected] and on Twitter @MiciakZoom

meet the author

Jason Miciak is a political writer, features writer, author, and attorney. He is originally from Canada but grew up in the Pacific Northwest. He now enjoys life as a single dad raising a ridiculously-loved young girl on the beaches of the Gulf Coast. He is very much the dreamy mystic, a day without learning is a day not lived. He is passionate about his flower pots and studies philosophical science, religion, and non-mathematical principles of theoretical physics. Dogs, pizza, and love are proof that God exists. "Above all else, love one another."

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