Donald Trump is sounding more and more like a crazy old man. His ramblings have never made much sense but it’s increasingly bad with each public appearance. The worst part is that his supporters don’t notice, don’t care, and will still vote for him.
Was Trump’s Mental State Ever Good?
There are a lot of people who would say that there’s no way to tell if Trump’s become less coherent. He was never that coherent to begin with. As long as he’s been in the public eye, he’s spent a lot of time spouting offensive nonsense.
Even before he decided to run for President, Trump spent a lot of time insulting people. He told an audience that model Heidi Klum was “no longer a 10.” He used his campaign kick-off speech to deride Mexican immigrants.
Signs Of Decline In The 2016 Campaign
During Trump’s first Presidential campaign, which kicked off in 2015, he made a lot of eyebrow-raising statements. He said that he would put a ban on all Muslims entering the country, then denied that he said it even though it was recorded.
He also claimed that he could shoot someone in broad daylight and his supporters would still vote for him. These things point either to a pathological liar or someone who is unable to keep track of what he’s saying – or both!
Trump’s Comments About Joe Biden’s Age
Donald Trump has spent a great deal of time going on about Joe Biden’s age. He’s said repeatedly that Biden is too old to be President despite the fact that he’s only a few years younger than Joe Biden is.
He also makes no allowances for Joe Biden’s well-known stutter, something the President has had since he was a child. His mockery calls to mind another occasion when he openly mocked a disabled reporter during the 2016 campaign.
The 14th Amendment And Other Nonsense
On Monday, March 4, Trump attended a rally and spoke about the recent Supreme Court decision. The court ruled that Trump could not be kept off state ballots in 2024 because of his role in the January 6, 2021 insurrection.
After claiming that the court had nullified the 14th Amendment, which it didn’t, he went on to ramble about Presidential immunity. He claimed he should have blanked immunity for all crimes and seemed to imply that it was impossible to be President without also being a criminal.
Hair Washing Tips From A Former President?
As Trump continued to ramble on, most major news outlets cut away from the rally. Trump later complained about all the little things that bother him. High on the list was the amount of time it takes him to wash his hair.
After bragging about his hair, Trump then went on about how new showers only provide a dribble of water, and said it took him 10 minutes to wash his hair. He also chose this moment to name-drop Procter and Gamble and praise the company’s products.
Migrant Crime?
Among Trump’s disconcerting remarks in South Carolina was a diatribe about something he labeled as “migrant crime.” He said it was a new category of crime. This isn’t a new topic for Trump, but it’s certainly one that’s designed to stir up fear.
As a reminder, immigrants to the United States mostly come here to earn a living and take care of their families. Only a tiny percentage ever commit crimes. To hear Trump talk, you’d think it was a daily occurrence here.
Incoherent Mumblings On The Rise
At another recent rally in Virginia, Trump appeared to lose track of his words when speaking about Russia and Saudi Arabia. He mumbled, “Just recently heard that Saudi Arabia and Russia will be re-be- do- oooooh.” It appeared he was trying to say “reducing.”
That’s not the first time that Trump has slurred his words or said something unintelligible. We all remember the weird “covfefe” Tweet. And Trump has sometimes seemed not to know where he is or what he’s doing there.
Who’s The President Now?
Another area where Trump has struggled is in remembering who the President is. At various times in the past several months, he has said that Barack Obama is the President. He doesn’t seem to know what year it is.
You would think that Trump would know that Obama is no longer President. He tried to delegitimize Obama’s presidency by implying he wasn’t eligible to be President. Even after Obama presented a valid birth certificate, his accusations continued for years.
Ding, Boom, Nuclear
One of the weirdest things that happened recently occurred at that same Virginia rally this past Sunday. Trump declared that Putin was mentioning nuclear weapons because he “had so little respect for Obama.”
On the same evening, Trump weirdly said, “”Ding. Boom. Dis is me. I here. Bing!” His audience appeared to be as confused as newscasters were. It’s difficult to interpret what he might have meant in the absence of anything coherent or relevant.
What Do Republican Voters Think?
You might be wondering whether Trump’s weird “Ding Boom” moments are giving Republican voters pause. The answer, at least at this point, appears to be No. Trump’s easily going to win the primaries and become the Republican nominee.
One question is what will happen if Trump continues to decline mentally. While Biden sometimes misspeaks, he’s never resorted to baby talk and nonsense. There’s still a chance that Trump’s declining cognition could play a role in November.
Is Trump’s Low Bar To Blame?
One of the popular theories about why voters aren’t turning on Trump is that he always had a low bar for intelligence. It’s true he was never known as an intellectual. His business success has more to do with luck and malfeasance than anything else.
The Truth is that Trump was at least a little more coherent when he was in the White House than he is now. He wasn’t eloquent but at least some of the time, it was possible to understand what he was trying to say. That’s all changed.
Old Man Vs. Old Man
While Trump’s cognitive decline is apparent, what about Biden? He’s already the oldest President to have held office. He’s certainly not the rambunctious Joe Biden we remember from Obama’s 2008 campaign.
The bottom line is that unless something changes, we’ll be facing a November ballot with a choice between two very old men. Neither is in the prime of life and there’s a strong argument to be made that we’d be better off with someone younger.
Will Voters Change Their Minds?
It’s only March. Many voters are paying little attention to the Presidential campaign at this early date. It’s likely that more will tune in for the party conventions this summer and heading into the general election. A lot could change.
Some experienced pundits anticipate that voters who’ve been tuned out will be alarmed when they start paying attention again. Trump’s clearly not in possession of all his marbles. That, combined with 91 criminal indictments and potential convictions on the horizon, could swing voters away from the ex-President.
