A leading psychotherapist has raised concerns about Donald Trump’s mental health, suggesting that the president may be showing signs of dementia. Dr. John Gartner, a Baltimore-based clinician with 35 years of experience, has identified at least two key symptoms that he believes are evident in Trump’s behavior.
Dr. Gartner, who previously stated publicly that there is “absolutely no doubt” Trump may have dementia, elaborated on his observations during a podcast with MindSite News. He explained: “When we diagnose dementia, we look for a decline from someone’s baseline functioning. Many people don’t realize that in the 1980s, Donald Trump was actually very articulate. He spoke in clear, polished paragraphs. Now, he struggles to complete even a single sentence.”
The first symptom Dr. Gartner points to is a noticeable decline in Trump’s public speaking. “He is losing the ability to speak coherently. We’ve documented numerous examples of what we call phonemic paraphrasias, where a person substitutes sounds for actual words a common sign of brain damage and dementia. Trump might say ‘mishiz’ instead of ‘missiles’ or ‘Chrishus’ instead of ‘Christmas’ because he can’t recall the full word.”
This observation comes after Trump delivered the first State of the Union of his second term, speaking for 108 minutes the longest in U.S. history covering a wide range of topics. Throughout his presidency, he has become known for lengthy speeches that jump between subjects.
Dr. Gartner also highlighted what he sees as increased impulsivity and erratic behavior as a second indicator of potential cognitive decline. “People often say, ‘He’s always been impulsive, so how can you tell?’ But now, his actions seem more unpredictable. He blurts things out and makes hasty decisions, such as his frequent reversals on tariff policies, which he then has to correct,” he said.
According to Dr. Gartner, these changes in speech and behavior could signal that the president’s cognitive health is deteriorating.
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