Donald Trump said his Democratic rival Kamala Harris has “bigger cognitive problems” than Joe Biden. Speaking in Savannah, Georgia, the former President declared that the world is mocking America and laughing at Kamala Harris. “They can’t believe that she’s going to be President,” he said.
Early in his campaign, Trump focused on President Biden’s age and mental acuity, but since 59-year-old Harris rose to the top of the ticket, the spotlight has turned on the former President. Mr. Trump repeatedly declared that Biden was too old, even though he would be older midway through a second term if re-elected.
Surveys show that the American public is increasingly aware of the potential pitfalls of Trump’s advancing years. A Morning Consult poll in August found that 51% of people now think Trump is too old for the Oval Office—up from 44%. The number of people who believe he is mentally fit dropped from 53% to 48%.
A study by the science website Stat News in August examined Donald Trump’s speech patterns and found “short sentences, confused word order, and repetition, alongside extended digressions.” It noted that there are several possible causes, and some are potentially “worrisome.” James Pennebaker of the University of Texas compared recent Trump speeches with his 2015 addresses and found a 60% increase in absolute words like “always” and “never.” Pennebaker said “all-or-nothing thinking” is associated with cognitive decline.
Kathleen Hall Jamieson of the Annenberg Public Policy Center at the University of Pennsylvania says there has always been a question surrounding Trump’s connection with reality. She argues that the former President’s tendency to brag and exaggerate has increased, and this is not a positive attribute in a leader.
Mr. Trump has addressed and dismissed the criticisms and concerns surrounding his mental health. He insists he does not meander or ramble but weaves together a range of important points into a coherent tapestry. Trump told a Pennsylvania audience that English professors consider his rally speeches the “most brilliant thing they’ve ever seen.”
