Trump’s critics say he’s slipping. His defenders say he’s just being Trump. Here is a Deeper Look comparing past and present speech, identifying key breakdowns, and applying cognitive principles.
Does trumps cognitive decline matter? He has been excused for incessant lying, constant hate speech, various forms of fraud, sexual assault, and total disregard for the nation’s constitution. If he declines to the point of sitting passively staring at Fox News for 18 hours a day, like so many of his constituents, Congress will applaud him and SCOTUS will give him even more unchecked powers.
Thoughtful analysis. Since 2015, at least, he has never been a clearly logical thinker in speeches--his speechwriters must be pulling their hair out now. It could also be that he is straying off the teleprompter because he is not seeing as clearly as he once did. His eyes look less focused to me.
For Trump to be in Cognitive decline, he'd need to be sane or rational to begin with. He is neither.
He is noticeably less "functional" less aware of his surroundings, but he has always been in denial and only sees through the eyes his father trained all those years ago. He only sees himself and the few things that catch his attention, the TV, Ratings, things that he can use, people he can use and whatever lie he's telling himself today.
To be clear, he does not live in reality, at least not the reality the rest of us live in.
His followers aren't following him, per say, they are following an idea. They want a utopia that doesn't exist, based on a past that never happened, and Trump promised to give it to them.
"Other recent episodes include referencing “airports” during the Revolutionary War and veering into Charlottesville while answering a question about Asia.” One might ask whether a tendency to repeat oneself unconsciously can be put down to simple editorial error … :-)
In the past, I suspect Mr Trump felt a need, as do we all, to comply with certain criteria when engaging in discourse. The criteria have all now fallen away. Dishonesty, confusion, mind-changing, peremptory actions involving bombing other countries, tearing up the UN Charter, confusing the markets and making hay whilst doing so, indulging in questionable crypto ventures: tell me, if you were prepared to abandon every constraint of decency in your sex, business and political lives, what attention would you be paying to the construction of your sentences and speeches?
Commentators noted that people attending his election rallies peeled off and went home after a certain time. Whether that was green cheese or a reflection of the fact they’d heard it all before, one theme that that observation perhaps wheels back to is whether the electioneering in any way affected the election result. And by that I intend to imply, ever so subtly, a question over whether the votes that were cast were the votes that were counted. And whether the person in whose favour they were counted was aware up front that that would be the case.
In a Monty Python sketch set in a courtroom, the judge at one point asserts his authority.
“Stand up!” he says. Everyone stands up.
“Sit down!” he says. Everyone sits down.
“Say ‘moo’!” he says. Everyone says ‘moo’.
The question is not what would induce someone to get the court to do such ridiculous things. It is: what is it that means they can do so without fear of being countermanded, regardless of how ridiculous it all sounds?
Here's a September 2016 analysis that I published in Publius Audax. When I was a member of Don's Trump National Hudson Valley golf club, I had an email exchange with him and learned of Don.'s intellectual incontinence first hand.
We won't defeat him by critiquing his grammar. We need to highlight the damage he continues to do and shine light on his enablers. That is mainly elected Republicans.
I was joking, but wholeheartedly agree! As far as enablers, we need to go after the people and corporations supporting him with money (plutocrats). They are the problem and his chief enablers. They also put pressure on the politicians who couldn’t rub two penny’s together, and never had an original thought in their entire lives…:)
Another suggestion--dementia is the name of the syndrome that you describe, it does not itself identify the cause, saying what the cause is would be the diagnosis--so yes, based on the criteria you so clearly articulate for us, Trump is demented--the cause is what we cannot determine, it might just be advancing age, an unhealthy diet, reduced blood flow to the brain, or some other cause, such as Alzheimers. To an important extent, however, the cause is less important than the fact.
However, regardless of whether Trump is suffering from cognitive decline or dementia, he’s still a narcissistic sociopath, perennial grifter—cheap snake oil salesman, as well as an overall petty, vindictive a-hole; so there’s that!….:)
His next step is physical attacks on people he disagrees with. I know that mocking is horrible but he did that and is still doing it. If done to him, he comes unglued.
“Let’s have a music”. Fallowed by 40 minutes of weird dancing while Kristi Noem tried to alternately usher him off stage or follow along with the crazy dancing
I would suggest one consider physical indicators of the chronic disease of the aging process. He has in the last fee months developed notably increased periorbital edema (not bags) even while exhibiting a facial fat redistribution consistent with some drug induced lipodystrophy. All consistent with focal segmental glomerulosclerosis (FSGS), and the use of dual GLP-1/GIP receptor agonists. If there is underlying heart failure, periods of significant confusion and disorientation could underly his presentation without actually indicating neurocognitive degeneration.
I would also look at whether he is willing to field questions from neutral or mildly hostile journalists. Willingness to face the press is a hallmark of someone who is high functioning.
Does trumps cognitive decline matter? He has been excused for incessant lying, constant hate speech, various forms of fraud, sexual assault, and total disregard for the nation’s constitution. If he declines to the point of sitting passively staring at Fox News for 18 hours a day, like so many of his constituents, Congress will applaud him and SCOTUS will give him even more unchecked powers.
Thoughtful analysis. Since 2015, at least, he has never been a clearly logical thinker in speeches--his speechwriters must be pulling their hair out now. It could also be that he is straying off the teleprompter because he is not seeing as clearly as he once did. His eyes look less focused to me.
For Trump to be in Cognitive decline, he'd need to be sane or rational to begin with. He is neither.
He is noticeably less "functional" less aware of his surroundings, but he has always been in denial and only sees through the eyes his father trained all those years ago. He only sees himself and the few things that catch his attention, the TV, Ratings, things that he can use, people he can use and whatever lie he's telling himself today.
To be clear, he does not live in reality, at least not the reality the rest of us live in.
His followers aren't following him, per say, they are following an idea. They want a utopia that doesn't exist, based on a past that never happened, and Trump promised to give it to them.
"Other recent episodes include referencing “airports” during the Revolutionary War and veering into Charlottesville while answering a question about Asia.” One might ask whether a tendency to repeat oneself unconsciously can be put down to simple editorial error … :-)
In the past, I suspect Mr Trump felt a need, as do we all, to comply with certain criteria when engaging in discourse. The criteria have all now fallen away. Dishonesty, confusion, mind-changing, peremptory actions involving bombing other countries, tearing up the UN Charter, confusing the markets and making hay whilst doing so, indulging in questionable crypto ventures: tell me, if you were prepared to abandon every constraint of decency in your sex, business and political lives, what attention would you be paying to the construction of your sentences and speeches?
Commentators noted that people attending his election rallies peeled off and went home after a certain time. Whether that was green cheese or a reflection of the fact they’d heard it all before, one theme that that observation perhaps wheels back to is whether the electioneering in any way affected the election result. And by that I intend to imply, ever so subtly, a question over whether the votes that were cast were the votes that were counted. And whether the person in whose favour they were counted was aware up front that that would be the case.
In a Monty Python sketch set in a courtroom, the judge at one point asserts his authority.
“Stand up!” he says. Everyone stands up.
“Sit down!” he says. Everyone sits down.
“Say ‘moo’!” he says. Everyone says ‘moo’.
The question is not what would induce someone to get the court to do such ridiculous things. It is: what is it that means they can do so without fear of being countermanded, regardless of how ridiculous it all sounds?
Here's a September 2016 analysis that I published in Publius Audax. When I was a member of Don's Trump National Hudson Valley golf club, I had an email exchange with him and learned of Don.'s intellectual incontinence first hand.
https://www.publiusaudax.com/post/2016/09/12/dumb-don
Very impressive, although I’m not sure anyone in MAGA even knows what a principle or subordinate clause is; so……:)
We won't defeat him by critiquing his grammar. We need to highlight the damage he continues to do and shine light on his enablers. That is mainly elected Republicans.
I was joking, but wholeheartedly agree! As far as enablers, we need to go after the people and corporations supporting him with money (plutocrats). They are the problem and his chief enablers. They also put pressure on the politicians who couldn’t rub two penny’s together, and never had an original thought in their entire lives…:)
Thanks!
And yet, here we are...
No kidding!
Another suggestion--dementia is the name of the syndrome that you describe, it does not itself identify the cause, saying what the cause is would be the diagnosis--so yes, based on the criteria you so clearly articulate for us, Trump is demented--the cause is what we cannot determine, it might just be advancing age, an unhealthy diet, reduced blood flow to the brain, or some other cause, such as Alzheimers. To an important extent, however, the cause is less important than the fact.
All on top of an underlying psychopathy.
yes, and the malignant narcissism only further complicates and at the same time obscures the cognitive decline
Thanks Michael, great newsletter and information.
However, regardless of whether Trump is suffering from cognitive decline or dementia, he’s still a narcissistic sociopath, perennial grifter—cheap snake oil salesman, as well as an overall petty, vindictive a-hole; so there’s that!….:)
His next step is physical attacks on people he disagrees with. I know that mocking is horrible but he did that and is still doing it. If done to him, he comes unglued.
Quick fix you repeated one paragraph
Thanks! Fixed it. I appreciate the quick heads up! ;-)
Damn. Kettle & Pot insinuation for Trumpies! Find a kind Editor. I love your work. Cheers.
Great article!
Regardless of his mental state, he’s unfit for office.
“Let’s have a music”. Fallowed by 40 minutes of weird dancing while Kristi Noem tried to alternately usher him off stage or follow along with the crazy dancing
That was ultra weird
Thank you for sharing.
Never had anyone called trump high IQed. His IQ circling around 70 and language somewhere around third grade, emphasis the low IQ.
I, for one, am more concerned with Michael Sellers’ cognitive decline. Mr. Trump obviously has none.
I would suggest one consider physical indicators of the chronic disease of the aging process. He has in the last fee months developed notably increased periorbital edema (not bags) even while exhibiting a facial fat redistribution consistent with some drug induced lipodystrophy. All consistent with focal segmental glomerulosclerosis (FSGS), and the use of dual GLP-1/GIP receptor agonists. If there is underlying heart failure, periods of significant confusion and disorientation could underly his presentation without actually indicating neurocognitive degeneration.
I would also look at whether he is willing to field questions from neutral or mildly hostile journalists. Willingness to face the press is a hallmark of someone who is high functioning.