Donald Trump spoke about the reaction of the (non-existent) crowd during his duel against Kamala Harris. He was happy to have had a great day in Louisiana (while he was in Georgia). He called for the return to television of host Johnny Carson (died in 2005). He confessed his fear of being assassinated by North Korea (even though he presumably meant Iran). And he made increasingly confused, dark and angry remarks in front of his supporters, occasionally indulging in vulgar words that had never passed the lips of a presidential candidate during campaign rallies.
The New York Times recalls these recent facts this Sunday in an article (free link) on the age of the former president. Since Joe Biden’s withdrawal from the race for the White House, Trump is, at 78 years old, the oldest person to run for the White House. Everyone agrees that the way they express themselves has changed or deteriorated since 2016. Further study confirms this.
“According to a computer analysis carried out by the New York TimesMr. Trump’s speeches at rallies now last an average of 82 minutes, up from 45 minutes in 2016. Proportionately, he uses 13 percent more all-or-nothing terms like “always” and “never” than he did eight years, which some experts consider a sign of aging, writes Peter Baker, the author of the article.
“Similarly, he uses 32% more negative words than positive words, compared to 21% in 2016, which may be another indicator of cognitive change. Finally, he uses swear words 69% more often than when he campaigned in 2016, a trend that could reflect what experts call disinhibition. (A study by Stat, a health care media outlet, found similar results). »
The Times also underlines the propensity to evoke memories or facts belonging to the distant past (he notably alluded to the actor Cary Grant). On the other hand, he seems to have limited or no understanding of cultural or technological phenomena that younger people take for granted. “Most people have no idea what a phone app is,” he told supporters recently in a country where smartphones are nearly universal.
The daily also gives several examples of Trump’s incomprehensible or disjointed remarks. I quote a revealing passage on the subject:
“He doesn’t stay on the same line of thinking for long. For about ten minutes in Mosinee, Wisconsin, last month, for example, he moved from one topic to another: Ms. Harris’s record; the virtues of the merit system; the support of Robert F. Kennedy Jr.; the alleged corruption of the FDA, CDC and WHO; the COVID-19 pandemic; immigration; return to WHO; China; Mr. Biden’s age; Mrs. Harris again; Mr. Biden again; chronic health problems and childhood illnesses; return to Mr. Kennedy; the “Biden crime family”; the President’s State of the Union Address; Franklin D. Roosevelt; the 25th Amendment; the “parasitic political class”; election day; return to immigration; Senator Tammy Baldwin; return to immigration; energy production; return to immigration; and Mrs. Baldwin again. »
The Times interviewed former aides and people close to Trump who contradict each other about Trump’s mental health, some acknowledging a problem that goes back some time, others saying there is no problem.
Baker, the journalist of the Timesdoes not decide the question himself. “Experts said it was difficult to determine whether the changes in Mr. Trump’s speaking style were a sign of typical effects of age or a more serious illness,” he wrote.
One thing is certain: if elected, Trump would be 82 years old at the end of his term in the White House.
(Photo Getty Images)
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