His fantastical claims have become more unhinged. This is especially troubling given that he is the oldest president ever to be sworn in and has a family history of Alzheimer’s.
Trump even seems to be confused about when he was president. And he keeps claiming that the Epstein files were a hoax created by his predecessors, even though the arrest and demise of Trump’s close friend Jeffrey Epstein happened during Trump’s own first term.
Paranoia and anger are common symptoms of dementia; so is a loss of impulse control. All have become cornerstones of Trump’s second term.
Trump’s Cabinet could invoke the 25th Amendment to remove him from office. Instead, Stephen Miller, Russell Vought, JD Vance, and RFK Jr. seem to be feeding into Trump’s paranoid delusions to increase their own power and advance their own fanatical agendas.
A person suffering dementia can be a danger to themselves and others. In the most tragic cases, they can be manipulated and taken advantage of by unscrupulous relatives or caretakers. Is this what’s happening in the White House?
It’s one thing to read about Trump’s mental decline — quite another to see it, which is why this week’s video is particularly important.
Robert Reich is a professor of public policy at Berkeley and former secretary of labor. His writings can be found at https://robertreich.substack.com/.