Renowned psychologist Dr. John Gartner, formerly associated with Johns Hopkins University Medical School, has raised concerns about former President Donald Trump’s cognitive health. Gartner has been an advocate for assessing Trump’s mental well-being and has linked recent behaviors to potential cognitive decline, including slurring and difficulties in formulating complete sentences.
In an interview with Salon’s Chauncey DeVega on Saturday, February 24, Gartner expressed his belief that Trump is exhibiting signs of dementia and possibly the early stages of Alzheimer’s disease. Gartner, who contributed to the 2017 book “The Dangerous Case of Donald Trump,” emphasized his concerns about the former president’s cognitive state.
“He’s showing gross signs of dementia,” Gartner asserted, highlighting Trump’s linguistic challenges as more than mere slips but indicative of a deteriorating mind.
Gartner elaborated on the occurrence of “phonemic paraphasias,” describing them as ominous signs in the moderate to severe stages of Alzheimer’s disease. He pointed to instances where Trump struggled to pronounce words correctly in speeches, providing examples such as ‘beneficiaries’ becoming ‘benefishes’ and ‘renovations’ becoming ‘renoversh.’
The psychologist also highlighted Trump’s tendency to go off in odd directions during speeches and noted the substitution of words like ‘pivotal’ becoming ‘pivobal,’ ‘Obama’ becoming ‘obamna,’ ‘missiles’ becoming ‘mishiz,’ and ‘Christmas’ becoming ‘Crissus.’
Gartner contrasted Trump’s case with that of President Joe Biden, acknowledging Biden’s occasional gaffes and falls but attributing them to normal aging without significant concern. He stated, “There is also this focus on [President Joe] Biden’s gaffes or other things that are well within the normal limits of aging. By comparison, Trump appears to be showing gross signs of dementia. This is a tale of two brains. Biden’s brain is aging. Trump’s brain is dementing.”
The assessment by Dr. John Gartner adds to the ongoing discussions about the cognitive health of public figures, particularly those who have held the highest office in the United States. The topic remains sensitive, emphasizing the importance of a thorough and transparent evaluation by qualified medical professionals to address concerns and provide clarity.
