As we have reported in real-time, Trump’s press conferences over the last two days have been “different.” In both press conferences, one of which was interrupted by a shooting out on the street, we noted immediately that Trump appeared sedated. Today, Trump slurred through so many of his words that we had trouble tracking a few of the things said.
Additionally, as we reported early, Kaitlin Collins of CNN noted that Trump appeared to use his notes on a completely unrelated topic to answer a question about Kamala Harris – he also mispronounced the name “Kamala,” which is odd but telling. Obviously we weren’t the only ones who noticed, we’ve already reported on the reaction from many on Twitter.
Now some are wondering if it goes deeper, if this is part of a more organic disease process. It is appropriate to ask – since Trump seems to always point the finger at Biden – whether Trump is suffering from dementia, or whether he has just completely given up. We don’t know, but we do highlight things said and speculated upon by people who are watching Trump closely.
Brian Karem has reported as a White House correspondent for Playboy and several other outlets and was in the Brady Room today for the press conference. Karem has picked up on a new tone in the White House in the last 2-3 weeks, one of fear and tension. He has said that they know they’re losing.
I've covered this administration since day one. @realDonaldTrump [1] is not the same man he was then. He's incoherent, ill-tempered and ignorant, yes. But he's also changed. Today I saw a man with low energy, befuddled and lumbering. Put a fork him, I think he's done. pic.twitter.com/9qjS409QNH [2]
— Brian J. Karem (@BrianKarem) August 12, 2020 [3]
Tom Joseph has watched frontotemporal dementia destroy family members and researched the disease as thoroughly as a layperson can:
Trump’s decline as descibed here by Brian Karem is the path of Frontotemporal dementia, PSP imo. The lumbering walk, the slow monotone speech, the loss of energy-it’s all coming together right on schedule and it will continue to worsen https://t.co/rXx9nQBQFG [4]
— Tom Joseph (@TomJChicago) August 12, 2020 [5]
Trump truly did look terrible on both days. It is also notable that he hasn’t been tweeting near as much, either. On his way out of the press briefing room he grasped the panel near the door, as if to steady himself.
We don’t know exactly what is going on with Trump. The situation is also complicated by the fact that people believe he’s significantly medicated a lot of time, and people can make of that what they will. He looks like he’s gained weight and is in slow motion. In the last two days he couldn’t organize his thoughts to even to the limited degree that he normally obtains. He lost his way so badly through an answer that he started using notes from his presentation on a completely different topic.
He was that out of it.
The foot-dragging and the slurred speech are getting very concerning (and it would be concerning with ANYONE with authority….)
— Gregg Daly (@GreggDaly) August 12, 2020 [6]
He’s been in visible cognitive decline for weeks now. I’m surprised his staff still lets him go out there. I keep expecting a complete, incoherent. crumbling collapse, like that country singer in the Robert Altman movie Nashville.
— NastyWoman SL McIntosh 😷🇨🇦 (@Mcatlady54) August 12, 2020 [7]
When he finished the presser I noticed he can barely walk. He grabbed ahold of banister for dear life. Trump is the one with poor health not Biden. Trump always uses projection… Biden’s health, Obama treason, voter fraud. He simply tells on his own self lol.
— phillip (@Sf49erfanPhil) August 12, 2020 [8]
He’ll make it, tho he’ll be even more incoherent. Marriage of dementia, whatever—well documented—& utter panic b/c of legal shitstorm he faces will make him wild & flailing. But 2 hope he figures easy way out, wh/he essentially could if he flees US, won’t happen. His arrogance.
— Wrexie Bardaglio (@highplainspoet) August 12, 2020 [9]
Speaking of less of energy. 1 public event tomorrow. Some getting kids back in school thing.https://t.co/QGMzM02T9x [10]
— Yogi35898 (@yogi35898) August 12, 2020 [11]
For the last week he has had one or at most two things on his schedule maximum, and nothing before 11:00 a.m., though he’s obviously up watching television in the morning. He does care about ratings, the show must go on.
But he looks worse than at any point in his presidency. Watch for Biden to get a 3-4 point bump off the Harris appointment and Trump’s behaviors.
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Peace, y’all
Jason
[email protected] and on Twitter @MiciakZoom