Donald Trump’s increasingly strange behaviour in public appearances has raised fresh concerns about his mental acuity, experts say. The 79-year-old US president has exhibited odd conduct at campaign events, interviews, and press conferences, often drifting off topic and misremembering facts about his government and personal life.
During a recent cabinet meeting, Trump spent 15 minutes discussing decorating. On a trip to the UK, he launched into an unprompted rant about windmills, claiming without evidence that they drive whales “loco” and kill birds. He also incorrectly asserted that his uncle, the late professor John Trump, taught Unabomber Ted Kaczynski at MIT.
Unlike Joe Biden, who faced intense scrutiny over his mental fitness after a poor debate performance in 2024, Trump has largely avoided similar examination. Democrats, including Representative Jasmine Crockett and California Governor Gavin Newsom, have begun to question his fitness more aggressively.
Asked about famine in Gaza, Trump claimed the US donated $60m two weeks ago and that no other country contributed. However, the UK announced £60m in aid in July, and the EU allocated €170m. The Guardian found no record of the claimed US donation.
Harry Segal, a lecturer in psychology at Cornell University, said Trump’s digressions and confabulations—adding false details to events—are signs of declining mental acuity. Trump has previously dismissed such concerns, calling himself a “stable genius” and boasting about acing simple dementia tests.
