Leading mental health professionals, including a former White House physician, are sounding alarms about Donald Trump’s cognitive health, suggesting he may be showing signs of “cognitive decline.”
Experts told The Independent that their concerns about the Republican presidential nominee echo similar worries previously directed at President Joe Biden. They warn that Trump appears to have “lost touch with reality,” as evidenced by his disjointed speeches and erratic debate performances.
As the November election approaches, a growing number of mental health professionals are calling for independent cognitive evaluations of candidates.
Biden, 81, faced significant scrutiny regarding his mental fitness after a poor debate performance against Trump in June. Now, attention has shifted to Trump, who frequently veers into incoherent tangents and bizarre statements.
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During a recent rally in Pennsylvania, Trump was mocked for delivering “word salads.” He made a confusing comment about Vice President Kamala Harris, saying, “She had the other interview with the other guy who was a nice guy… they have — and how dishonest was ABC…”
Despite the criticism, Trump insists he is “cognitively very strong.”
Richard A. Friedman, a psychiatry professor at Weill Cornell Medical College, expressed concern over Trump’s debate performance on September 10. In an op-ed for The Atlantic, he noted that Trump displayed patterns often associated with cognitive decline.
Dr. Ben Michaelis, a clinical psychologist with experience in cognitive assessments, stated that Trump appears to be “not in a strong cognitive place.” Although he has not examined Trump directly, he suggested that Trump’s late-night debate performance could indicate difficulties maintaining focus, similar to symptoms seen in individuals with dementia.
Michaelis highlighted Trump’s tendency to jump between unrelated topics during speeches, describing it as “logorrhoea,” which can be linked to cognitive issues. For instance, during a speech in Potterville, Michigan, Trump abruptly shifted from discussing financial losses in San Francisco to his ranking among “horribly” treated presidents.
Trump has characterized his topic-switching as “the weave,” claiming it results in cohesive narratives. However, experts argue that it amounts to “excessive incoherent talking.”
Allen Frances, a professor and chair emeritus of psychiatry at Duke University, has observed a marked decline in Trump since his presidency. He pointed out Trump’s incoherence and inability to stay on message, citing unfounded claims made during debates, including allegations regarding infant executions and bizarre assertions about immigrants.
Frances stated, “It seems to me likely… he has deteriorated a great deal,” adding that there should be an upper age limit for presidential candidates, especially if they refuse cognitive assessments.
Former White House physician Dr. Jeffrey Kuhlman supports this notion, advocating for an age cap on candidates who do not consent to objective cognitive testing. He emphasized the importance of mental fitness for the presidency, drawing parallels to regulations for airline pilots and FBI agents.
Kuhlman, who has not examined Trump, believes that independent cognitive assessments could provide valuable insights into a candidate’s mental state, especially as cognitive decline becomes more common with age.
He explained that cognitive assessments evaluate various functions, including vocabulary and memory. While vocabulary tends to remain stable, other cognitive abilities typically decline significantly after age 70.
Kuhlman concluded that recent speeches and debates suggest a lack of reasoning and critical decision-making from Trump, aligning with the observations of his peers.
