Donald Trump’s increasingly strange public appearances, including rambling about windmills and misremembering aid to Gaza, have again raised concerns about his mental fitness, experts say. The 79-year-old president has exhibited odd behaviour at campaign events, interviews, and press conferences, often drifting off topic and misstating facts.
During a recent trip to the UK, Trump abruptly switched from discussing immigration to a two-minute rant about windmills, claiming without evidence that they drive whales “loco” and kill birds. Harry Segal, a Cornell University psychology lecturer, said such digressions show Trump “switching topics without self-regulation or coherent narrative”.
Trump has also confabulated, such as claiming his uncle taught the Unabomber at MIT. Asked about Gaza famine aid, he forgot other countries’ contributions and falsely claimed the US gave $60m two weeks ago—a donation the Guardian could not verify.
Unlike Joe Biden, who faced intense scrutiny over age-related gaffes before dropping out of the 2024 race, Trump has largely avoided similar examination. Democrats, including Representative Jasmine Crockett and Governor Gavin Newsom, have begun questioning his fitness, pointing to multiple examples of odd conduct.
