{"id":38417,"date":"2025-10-26T08:50:37","date_gmt":"2025-10-26T12:50:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/stateofthenation.info\/?p=38417"},"modified":"2025-10-26T08:52:22","modified_gmt":"2025-10-26T12:52:22","slug":"trumps-cognitive-collapse-is-clear-psychologist","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/stateofthenation.info\/?p=38417","title":{"rendered":"<h1>Trump\u2019s Cognitive Collapse Is Clear: Psychologist<\/h1>"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><!--more--><\/p>\n<div class=\"Rubric\">\n<div class=\"Rubric__content\">HIS ACCELERATING DECLINE<\/div>\n<div class=\"Rubric__divider\">\n<div class=\"Rubric__divider__bottom\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<h2 class=\"c-heading b-subheadline\">The 79-year-old president\u2019s nonsensical speeches and mental lapses are flashing signs of his \u201cimmense cognitive decline,\u201d according to Dr. John Gartner.<\/h2>\n<p>Erkki Forster<br \/>\nDAILY BEAST<\/p>\n<div class=\"c-stack b-double-chain\" data-style-direction=\"vertical\" data-style-justification=\"start\" data-style-alignment=\"unset\" data-style-inline=\"false\" data-style-wrap=\"nowrap\">\n<div class=\"c-grid b-double-chain__children-grid\">\n<div class=\"c-stack b-double-chain__child-item\" data-style-direction=\"vertical\" data-style-justification=\"start\" data-style-alignment=\"unset\" data-style-inline=\"false\" data-style-wrap=\"nowrap\">\n<div class=\"Article-byline--two-authors\">\n<div class=\"Article-byline--two-authors__container \">\n<div class=\"Article-byline--two-authors__author\">\n<div class=\"Article-byline--two-authors__author-info\">\n<p class=\"Article-byline--two-authors__author-role\">Night News Reporter<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"PublicationTime PublicationTime--show-modtime\"><time class=\"PublicationTime__mod-time\" datetime=\"October 23, 2025 at 3:09AM EDT\"><span class=\"PublicationTime__date-label\">Updated\u00a0<\/span><span class=\"PublicationTime__date\">Oct. 23 2025\u00a0<\/span><span class=\"PublicationTime__time\">3:09AM EDT\u00a0<\/span><span class=\"PublicationTime__slash\">\/\u00a0<\/span><\/time><time class=\"PublicationTime__pub-time\" datetime=\"October 22, 2025 at 10:12PM EDT\"><span class=\"PublicationTime__date-label\">Published\u00a0<\/span><span class=\"PublicationTime__date\">Oct. 22 2025\u00a0<\/span><span class=\"PublicationTime__time\">10:12PM EDT\u00a0<\/span><\/time><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"c-paragraph\">Donald Trump is exhibiting a \u201cmassive increase\u201d in \u201cclinical signs of dementia,\u201d exacerbating the president\u2019s \u201cmalignant narcissism,\u201d a psychologist has warned.<\/p>\n<p class=\"c-paragraph\">Dr. John Gartner told\u00a0<a title=\"https:\/\/www.thedailybeast.com\/author\/the-daily-beast-podcast\/\" href=\"https:\/\/www.thedailybeast.com\/author\/the-daily-beast-podcast\/\" target=\"_self\" rel=\"\">The Daily Beast Podcast<\/a>\u00a0that the 79-year-old\u2019s nonsensical speeches, repeated confusion, and frequent lapses in memory are flashing signs of his \u201cimmense cognitive decline.\u201d<\/p>\n<div>\n<p class=\"c-paragraph\">The former Johns Hopkins professor said the president\u2019s deterioration is only disinhibiting his \u201cgrandiosity\u201d and \u201cparanoia\u201d and warned that, with the nuclear football in Trump\u2019s possession, \u201cIt really would be impossible to overstate the grave risk that all of us are at right now.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"Oembed__wrapper\">\n<div class=\"Oembed b-article-body__embed-responsive\" data-chromatic=\"ignore\" data-testid=\"oembed-container\">\n<div>\n<div class=\"Oembed__html\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Trump's Cognitive Collapse is Clear: Psychologist | The Daily Beast Podcast\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/Mzz_xOjwsH8?feature=oembed\" width=\"560\" height=\"315\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\" data-mce-fragment=\"1\"><\/iframe><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"c-paragraph\">Gartner presented Trump\u2019s address to top military brass last month as Exhibit One of how \u201cdisordered\u201d the commander-in-chief\u2019s thinking is, noting his similarity to dementia patients who \u201cpick up on one concrete physical detail\u201d and then \u201cfree-associate\u201d away from the original topic.<\/p>\n<p class=\"c-paragraph\">Trump\u2019s speech at one point veered abruptly from discussing Marine morale to \u201cBiden\u2019s autopen,\u201d before finally landing on a wandering tangent about \u201cgorgeous paper.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"c-paragraph\">\u201cWhen I have a general and I have to sign for a general because we have beautiful paper, the gorgeous paper. I said, \u2018Throw a little more gold on it, they deserve it.\u2019 Give me\u2014I want the A paper, not the D paper. We used to sign a piece of garbage,\u201d he said, proceeding to gush about his own signature.<\/p>\n<p class=\"c-paragraph\">\u201cEveryone loves my signature,\u201d he told the nation\u2019s 800 top generals.<\/p>\n<p class=\"c-paragraph\">Gartner told host Joanna Coles that \u201cbecause of his cognitive decline, [Trump] is focusing on things like the [White House] ballroom and the paper that he writes things on.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"c-paragraph\">\u201cWe\u2019re seeing a stone skipping along the water. He\u2019s going from one association to another, but it doesn\u2019t make any linear sense,\u201d the co-host of the podcast\u00a0<a title=\"https:\/\/podcasts.apple.com\/us\/podcast\/shrinking-trump\/id1745797271\" href=\"https:\/\/podcasts.apple.com\/us\/podcast\/shrinking-trump\/id1745797271\" rel=\"\">Shrinking Trump<\/a>\u00a0said.<\/p>\n<div>\n<div class=\"fancylink-card\">\n<div class=\"fancylink-card__content\">\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thedailybeast.com\/trump-79-confused-over-which-countrys-war-he-solved\/\" aria-label=\"\/trump-79-confused-over-which-countrys-war-he-solved\/\"><span class=\"fancylink-card__title\">Trump, 79, Confused Over Which Country\u2019s War He \u2018Solved\u2019<\/span><\/a><a class=\"fancylink-card__rubric fancylink-card__rubric-tdb\" href=\"https:\/\/www.thedailybeast.com\/trump-79-confused-over-which-countrys-war-he-solved\/\" aria-label=\"\/trump-79-confused-over-which-countrys-war-he-solved\/\">NOT AGAIN!<\/a><\/p>\n<div class=\"fancylink-card__authors-box\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thedailybeast.com\/author\/FarrahTomazin\"><span class=\"fancylink-card__authors-box--name\">Farrah Tomazin<\/span><\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thedailybeast.com\/trump-79-confused-over-which-countrys-war-he-solved\/\" aria-label=\"\/trump-79-confused-over-which-countrys-war-he-solved\/\"><picture class=\"c-picture\"><source srcset=\"https:\/\/www.thedailybeast.com\/resizer\/v2\/JK5HT2V34FDCLDHH67GWYSOPI4.JPG?auth=5f2306151d4d554f3cbf5633e05afa8ea39451d9711d74ec67ba8888edb1c885&amp;smart=true&amp;width=400\" media=\"(max-width: 375px)\" \/><source srcset=\"https:\/\/www.thedailybeast.com\/resizer\/v2\/JK5HT2V34FDCLDHH67GWYSOPI4.JPG?auth=5f2306151d4d554f3cbf5633e05afa8ea39451d9711d74ec67ba8888edb1c885&amp;smart=true&amp;width=600\" media=\"(max-width: 500px)\" \/><source srcset=\"https:\/\/www.thedailybeast.com\/resizer\/v2\/JK5HT2V34FDCLDHH67GWYSOPI4.JPG?auth=5f2306151d4d554f3cbf5633e05afa8ea39451d9711d74ec67ba8888edb1c885&amp;smart=true&amp;width=800\" media=\"(max-width: 703px)\" \/><source srcset=\"https:\/\/www.thedailybeast.com\/resizer\/v2\/JK5HT2V34FDCLDHH67GWYSOPI4.JPG?auth=5f2306151d4d554f3cbf5633e05afa8ea39451d9711d74ec67ba8888edb1c885&amp;smart=true&amp;width=1000\" media=\"(max-width: 900px)\" \/><source srcset=\"https:\/\/www.thedailybeast.com\/resizer\/v2\/JK5HT2V34FDCLDHH67GWYSOPI4.JPG?auth=5f2306151d4d554f3cbf5633e05afa8ea39451d9711d74ec67ba8888edb1c885&amp;smart=true&amp;width=1200\" media=\"(max-width: 1031px)\" \/><source srcset=\"https:\/\/www.thedailybeast.com\/resizer\/v2\/JK5HT2V34FDCLDHH67GWYSOPI4.JPG?auth=5f2306151d4d554f3cbf5633e05afa8ea39451d9711d74ec67ba8888edb1c885&amp;smart=true&amp;width=1400\" media=\"(min-width: 1032px)\" \/><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"c-image fancylink-card__image\" src=\"https:\/\/www.thedailybeast.com\/resizer\/v2\/JK5HT2V34FDCLDHH67GWYSOPI4.JPG?auth=5f2306151d4d554f3cbf5633e05afa8ea39451d9711d74ec67ba8888edb1c885&amp;smart=true&amp;width=300\" alt=\"U.S. President Donald Trump talks at a press conference with UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer at Chequers at the conclusion of a state visit on September 18, 2025 in Aylesbury, England. Leon Neal\/Pool via REUTERS\" width=\"300\" aria-label=\"\" data-chromatic=\"ignore\" \/><\/picture><\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"c-paragraph\">Trump has become prone to a speech phenomenon called \u201cphonemic paraphasia,\u201d where words are left incomplete and finished with a nonsense ending, Gartner argued.<\/p>\n<p class=\"c-paragraph\">Last week, Trump claimed that he had halted a \u201cnuclear\u201d war between Iran and Pakistan, repeatedly\u00a0<a title=\"https:\/\/www.thedailybeast.com\/trump-79-invents-another-war-in-his-relentless-nobel-crusade\/\" href=\"https:\/\/www.thedailybeast.com\/trump-79-invents-another-war-in-his-relentless-nobel-crusade\/\" target=\"_self\" rel=\"\">mixing up Iran and India without noticing the mistake<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p class=\"c-paragraph\">\u201cIt\u2019s one thing to get a name wrong, maybe even to reverse it,\u201d Gartner said. \u201cBut he\u2019s actually confusing the countries themselves.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"c-paragraph\">Trump, the oldest person ever inaugurated as president, conjured up several other fake conflicts in his self-absorbed and ultimately fruitless bid for the Nobel Peace Prize.<\/p>\n<p class=\"c-paragraph\">He insisted he had \u201csolved\u201d an\u00a0<a title=\"https:\/\/www.thedailybeast.com\/donald-trump-79-so-desperate-to-win-nobel-prize-he-makes-up-a-war-hes-solved\/\" href=\"https:\/\/www.thedailybeast.com\/donald-trump-79-so-desperate-to-win-nobel-prize-he-makes-up-a-war-hes-solved\/\" target=\"_self\" rel=\"\">imaginary conflict between Cambodia and Armenia<\/a>\u2014two nations 4,000 miles apart, just days after\u00a0<a title=\"https:\/\/www.thedailybeast.com\/trump-79-confused-over-which-countrys-war-he-solved\/\" href=\"https:\/\/www.thedailybeast.com\/trump-79-confused-over-which-countrys-war-he-solved\/\" target=\"_self\" rel=\"\">bragging he\u2019d stopped a showdown between Azerbaijan and Albania<\/a>, apparently meaning Armenia.<\/p>\n<h5 class=\"c-media-item b-article-body__image\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-large wp-image-38421\" src=\"http:\/\/stateofthenation.info\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/AQZOHM2YDNDOPI6FG6BIFHQ4M4-1024x682.avif\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"426\" srcset=\"https:\/\/stateofthenation.info\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/AQZOHM2YDNDOPI6FG6BIFHQ4M4-1024x682.avif 1024w, https:\/\/stateofthenation.info\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/AQZOHM2YDNDOPI6FG6BIFHQ4M4-300x200.avif 300w, https:\/\/stateofthenation.info\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/AQZOHM2YDNDOPI6FG6BIFHQ4M4-768x511.avif 768w, https:\/\/stateofthenation.info\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/AQZOHM2YDNDOPI6FG6BIFHQ4M4.avif 1440w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><span class=\"c-media-item__caption\">Gartner, a former Johns Hopkins professor, said he believes that Trump displays \u201cmalignant narcissism,\u201d a rare and severe personality disorder marked by paranoia and sadism.<\/span><span class=\"c-media-item__credit\">Kevin Dietsch\/Getty Images<\/span><\/h5>\n<p class=\"c-paragraph\">\u201cPeople don\u2019t make those kinds of phonemic paraphasias if they\u2019re tired or if they\u2019re aging,\u201d Gartner said. \u201cIt\u2019s something very specific that is linked to dementia and organic, cognitive decline.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"c-paragraph\">According to Gartner, Trump\u2019s \u201cclearly demented memory loss\u201d was evident when he forgot House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries\u2019 name just a day after meeting with him last month to discuss averting a government shutdown.<\/p>\n<p class=\"c-paragraph\">Speaking to reporters, Trump discussed his talks with \u201cChuck Schumer, who was here yesterday, along with&#8230; uhh, the, a very nice gentleman who I didn\u2019t really know. You know who I\u2019m talking about.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"c-paragraph\">Gartner observed, \u201cThis is like when you go to visit your mother in the nursing home and you bring your sister and she goes, \u2018Who\u2019s that nice lady that you brought with you?\u2019&#8230; I mean, it\u2019s that level of non-recognition that we\u2019re talking about.\u201d<\/p>\n<h5 class=\"c-media-item b-article-body__image\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-large wp-image-38420\" src=\"http:\/\/stateofthenation.info\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/KVZHHAKRJNFPHMI52WM7YML7XM-1024x682.avif\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"426\" srcset=\"https:\/\/stateofthenation.info\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/KVZHHAKRJNFPHMI52WM7YML7XM-1024x682.avif 1024w, https:\/\/stateofthenation.info\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/KVZHHAKRJNFPHMI52WM7YML7XM-300x200.avif 300w, https:\/\/stateofthenation.info\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/KVZHHAKRJNFPHMI52WM7YML7XM-768x511.avif 768w, https:\/\/stateofthenation.info\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/KVZHHAKRJNFPHMI52WM7YML7XM.avif 1440w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><span class=\"c-media-item__caption\">Gartner described Trump as \u201csomeone who could wake up and\u2014in a state of complete confusion and erratic irritation\u2014do something catastrophic.\u201d<\/span><span class=\"c-media-item__credit\">Win McNamee\/Getty Images<\/span><\/h5>\n<p class=\"c-paragraph\">Trump has previously\u00a0<a title=\"https:\/\/www.thedailybeast.com\/trump-appears-to-confuse-nikki-haley-with-nancy-pelosi-in-jan-6-gaffe\/\" href=\"https:\/\/www.thedailybeast.com\/trump-appears-to-confuse-nikki-haley-with-nancy-pelosi-in-jan-6-gaffe\/\" target=\"_self\" rel=\"\">confused Nikki Haley and Nancy Pelosi<\/a>,\u00a0<a title=\"https:\/\/www.thedailybeast.com\/trump-79-invents-fake-governor-in-embarrassing-senior-moment\/\" href=\"https:\/\/www.thedailybeast.com\/trump-79-invents-fake-governor-in-embarrassing-senior-moment\/\" target=\"_self\" rel=\"\">invented bogus governor Kristi Whitman<\/a>, and\u00a0<a title=\"https:\/\/www.thedailybeast.com\/trump-79-forgets-his-own-inauguration-year-in-senior-moment\/\" href=\"https:\/\/www.thedailybeast.com\/trump-79-forgets-his-own-inauguration-year-in-senior-moment\/\" target=\"_self\" rel=\"\">lost track of important milestones<\/a>\u00a0in his life.<\/p>\n<p class=\"c-paragraph\">The psychologist said he believes that Trump displays \u201cmalignant narcissism,\u201d a rare and severe personality disorder marked by paranoia and sadism that has been used to describe dictators such as Joseph Stalin, Adolf Hitler, and Saddam Hussein.<\/p>\n<p class=\"c-paragraph\">Trump, who\u00a0<a title=\"https:\/\/www.thedailybeast.com\/karoline-leavitt-twists-herself-to-explain-why-donald-trumps-ok-to-hate\/\" href=\"https:\/\/www.thedailybeast.com\/karoline-leavitt-twists-herself-to-explain-why-donald-trumps-ok-to-hate\/\" target=\"_self\" rel=\"\">declared \u201cI hate my opponent<\/a>, and I don\u2019t want the best for them\u201d at Charlie Kirk\u2019s memorial, posted an AI video over the weekend depicting him\u00a0<a title=\"https:\/\/www.thedailybeast.com\/why-donald-trump-literally-bombed-me-with-s-in-ai-video-tiktok-star-harry-sisson\/\" href=\"https:\/\/www.thedailybeast.com\/why-donald-trump-literally-bombed-me-with-s-in-ai-video-tiktok-star-harry-sisson\/\" target=\"_self\" rel=\"\">bombing \u201cNo Kings\u201d protesters with feces<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p class=\"c-paragraph\">\u201cThe idea that he really just wants to s&#8211;t on everyone who disagrees with him, that\u2019s literally how he feels because of the personality disorder,\u201d Gartner said, explaining that in people with dementia, personality disorders tend to get \u201cmore disinhibited, more grossly raw.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"c-paragraph\">He predicted that as Trump advances in age and tenure, he would exercise his power in ways that are more \u201cirrational\u201d and \u201cdestructive.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"c-paragraph\">\u201cThis is really someone who could wake up and\u2014in a state of complete confusion and erratic irritation\u2014do something catastrophic,\u201d Gartner said of the president, who has also faced mounting questions over his physical health due to his bruised hands and swollen ankles.<\/p>\n<p>____<br \/>\n<a href=\"https:\/\/www.thedailybeast.com\/donald-trumps-cognitive-collapse-is-clear-psychologist\/\">https:\/\/www.thedailybeast.com\/donald-trumps-cognitive-collapse-is-clear-psychologist\/<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-38417","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/stateofthenation.info\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/38417","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/stateofthenation.info\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/stateofthenation.info\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/stateofthenation.info\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/stateofthenation.info\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=38417"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/stateofthenation.info\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/38417\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/stateofthenation.info\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=38417"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/stateofthenation.info\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=38417"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/stateofthenation.info\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=38417"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}