Trump’s changing speech ignites new dementia warning from Lawrence O’Donnell

U.S. President Donald Trump gestures as he speaks during a campaign rally for U.S. Senator Darline Graham (R-SC) at the Myrtle Beach Convention Center in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, U.S., August 21, 2026. REUTERS/Evan Vucci

MS NOW host Lawrence O'Donnell gave a detailed account of President Donald Trump's recent speaking style and, as a result, issued another warning that minor verbal slips may indicate dementia more than the president's usual exaggerations and rambling speeches.

On the Wednesday episode of The Last Word, O'Donnell returned to a question which he stated that he had first put forward nine years earlier, namely, how Americans would be able to detect the signs of dementia in someone whose public statements were already often difficult to follow?

"This is how we will know," O'Donnell said, recalling his earlier social media post.

"We will catch these seemingly small slips in his lying process, in his speaking process," he added.

He argued that the important comparison was with Trump's earlier public appearances, including statements the president would not have made several years ago. He said those changes, rather than Trump's familiar habit of saying provocative things, were what interested him most now.

O'Donnell's remarks followed Trump's Wednesday campaign rally in San Antonio, Texas, where the president told a meandering story about first lady Melania Trump correcting his pronunciation of "vegan."

Trump raised the subject while mocking Democratic Senate candidate James Talarico, whom he criticized for his eating habits during a campaign speech four weeks before midterms.

"My wife told me, sir, do me a favor," Trump said, before recounting the supposed correction.

The president then appeared to switch pronouns while describing the exchange, referring to "he" before returning to references to Melania.

"I like steak," Trump told the audience, adding that his wife had sent her greetings.

The anecdote became part of O'Donnell's latest argument that apparent changes in Trump's speech deserve closer examination. He questioned Trump's mental state and drew attention to his authority over the nation's nuclear arsenal.

He previously asked similar questions while discussing Trump's controversial comments about Los Angeles and San Diego during a Nebraska rally.

Trump had suggested that attacks on the cities could be "a very small price to pay" in reference to Iran threats. The White House subsequently responded to the backlash, saying that Trump was talking about the consequences of failing to prevent Iran from threatening American cities.

O'Donnell said Trump's remarks were difficult to interpret whether heard aloud or read in a transcript. He speculated that Trump "may be sliding down a dementia curve every day."

His latest comments also reflect an argument he has made repeatedly, which is that the president's long history of exaggeration and false claims can make it harder to recognize meaningful changes in his behavior.

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