Does President Trump have Alzheimer's disease?

[lpetrich]

Donald Trump's New York Times Interview With Michael Schmidt Is the Sign of a Bigger Problem

Trump’s New York Times Interview Is a Portrait of a Man in Cognitive Decline

I don’t care whether Michael Schmidt was tough enough. We’ve got bigger problems.

Then about that interview,

What Schmidt actually got out of this interview is a far more serious problem for the country. In my view, the interview is a clinical study of a man in severe cognitive decline, if not the early stages of outright dementia.

He likely has Alzheimer's disease, much like Ronald Reagan.

In this interview, the president* is only intermittently coherent. He talks in semi-sentences and is always groping for something that sounds familiar, even if it makes no sense whatsoever and even if it blatantly contradicts something he said two minutes earlier.

The author noted that that is a common coping strategy for people with Alzheimer's disease.

In addition, the president* exhibits the kind of stubbornness you see in patients when you try to relieve them of their car keys–or, as one social worker in rural North Carolina told me, their shotguns.

Saying things like

But Michael, I know the details of taxes better than anybody. Better than the greatest C.P.A. I know the details of health care better than most, better than most. And if I didn’t, I couldn’t have talked all these people into doing ultimately only to be rejected.

and

We’re going to win another four years for a lot of reasons, most importantly because our country is starting to do well again and we’re being respected again. But another reason that I’m going to win another four years is because newspapers, television, all forms of media will tank if I’m not there because without me, their ratings are going down the tubes. Without me, The New York Times will indeed be not the failing New York Times, but the failed New York Times. So they basically have to let me win. And eventually, probably six months before the election, they’ll be loving me because they’re saying, “Please, please, don’t lose Donald Trump.” O.K.

A president in mental decline can be convenient for some people, as we saw in the Reagan years, and as we are seeing now with Congressional Republicans. Such a president can be easy to manipulate.

DT in that interview again:

I’m always moving. I’m moving in both directions. We have to get rid of chainlike immigration, we have to get rid of the chain. The chain is the last guy that killed. … [Talking with guests.] … The last guy that killed the eight people. … [Inaudible.] … So badly wounded people. … Twenty-two people came in through chain migration. Chain migration and the lottery system. They have a lottery in these countries. They take the worst people in the country, they put ‘em into the lottery, then they have a handful of bad, worse ones, and they put them out. ‘Oh, these are the people the United States. …” … We’re gonna get rid of the lottery, and by the way, the Democrats agree with me on that. On chain migration, they pretty much agree with me.

 

[barbos]

I thought about it and it does not seem to fit symptoms. Alzheimer usually progress quite quickly. You can observe drastic changes in short amount of time. I don't see that in Trump, he is pretty much a copy of himself from 10-15 years ago (I don't remember him before that) He is definitely not well in the head department but he probably was born this way.
He is a dumb and probably have some personality disorder(s), but he is not senile or having Alzheimer.

 

[lpetrich]

In his most recent interview with the “failing” newspaper, the president offers a dubiously rosy review of his performance to date.

In his most recent interview with the “failing” newspaper, the president offers a dubiously rosy review of his performance to date.

...
Other journalists criticized Schmidt’s interview, on Twitter and elsewhere, arguing that he should have done more to interrogate or push back on the president in what ultimately reads as one long Trump rant. But as Maggie Haberman countered, Trump’s “unfiltered” rants can reveal more about his mindset than a more confrontational interview, even if they can be less satisfying. Indeed, Trump stumbles into several revelations about himself, and his presidency, in the course of his diatribe with Schmidt.

Like

Trump is insistent that there was “no collusion.” [with Russia]

Trump still seems confident that special counsel Robert Mueller will exonerate him.

His confidence seems bolstered by the fact that his allies in Congress are working to delegitimize Mueller’s inquiry, potentially undermining whatever conclusions he ultimately reaches: ...

Trump seems to think that the Justice Department should be his own personal lawyer goon squad.

Trump is trying to have it both ways on Roy Moore.

Trump acted offended that China might not keep its word—and suggested he is getting his news from television, rather than directly from his own intelligence agencies.

Trump believes the media will want him re-elected and so will cover him more favorably.

 

[Tigers!]

As an outside looking in, far too many of your congress and House of Reps would probably exhibit such symptoms

 

[lpetrich]

I thought about it and it does not seem to fit symptoms. Alzheimer usually progress quite quickly. ...

What gives you that idea? Everything that I've ever seen on that disease indicates that it progresses slowly over some 10 - 20 years. Ronald Reagan was typical.

Three Stages of Alzheimer's Disease - Barton House
1: 2 - 4 years, 2: 2 - 10 years, 3: 1 - 3 years
That's anything from 5 to 17 years.

The Progression of Alzheimer's Disease: What Are the Stages?
1: (asymptomatic), 2: (not stated), 3: 7 years, 4: 2 years, 5: 1.5 years, 6: 1.5 years, 7: 1.5 years (or 9 years)
That's 13.5 years (or 21 years).

Forgetfulness and loss of memory gradually increase over the course of the disease, eventually becoming total.
Donald Trump 'Forgets' Melania Is Standing Right Next To Him During Hurricane Irma Speech
Mr President? Donald Trump nearly forgets to sign bill – video | US news | The Guardian
Trump Claims “One of the Greatest Memories,” Forgets Meeting Jeff Flake | Vanity Fair
But overall, if he has that disease, he is in the early stages of it.

 

[barbos]

I thought about it and it does not seem to fit symptoms. Alzheimer usually progress quite quickly. ...

What gives you that idea? Everything that I've ever seen on that disease indicates that it progresses slowly over some 10 - 20 years. Ronald Reagan was typical.

Three Stages of Alzheimer's Disease - Barton House
1: 2 - 4 years, 2: 2 - 10 years, 3: 1 - 3 years
That's anything from 5 to 17 years.

17 years to complete animal state.
What I mean, if you suspect Alzheimer and then in 2 years it's still not clear to you then it is not Alzheimer.
People with Alzheimer can live very long with it. I knew people who were having it for decades.
Forgetting stuff does not necessarily mean anything. It's forgetting stuff you are not supposed to forget you need to worry about - relatives, your name, where you live, etc. Forgetting where you put keys means you are a human. And forgetting stuff you are not supposed to forget is something you yourself as a patient will notice and realize you have a problem.

 

[ZiprHead]

I thought about it and it does not seem to fit symptoms. Alzheimer usually progress quite quickly. ...

What gives you that idea? Everything that I've ever seen on that disease indicates that it progresses slowly over some 10 - 20 years. Ronald Reagan was typical.

Three Stages of Alzheimer's Disease - Barton House
1: 2 - 4 years, 2: 2 - 10 years, 3: 1 - 3 years
That's anything from 5 to 17 years.

The Progression of Alzheimer's Disease: What Are the Stages?
1: (asymptomatic), 2: (not stated), 3: 7 years, 4: 2 years, 5: 1.5 years, 6: 1.5 years, 7: 1.5 years (or 9 years)
That's 13.5 years (or 21 years).

Forgetfulness and loss of memory gradually increase over the course of the disease, eventually becoming total.
Donald Trump 'Forgets' Melania Is Standing Right Next To Him During Hurricane Irma Speech
Mr President? Donald Trump nearly forgets to sign bill – video | US news | The Guardian
Trump Claims “One of the Greatest Memories,” Forgets Meeting Jeff Flake | Vanity Fair
But overall, if he has that disease, he is in the early stages of it.

Don't forget that twice, after getting off AF1, Mango Mussolini couldn't locate his car right in front of him.

 

[whollygoats]

It sounds to me like barbos is ignoring the very evidence before his eyes. I'd say barbos is in denial.

Yes, Cheeto Benito started out as an ignorant, arrogant asshole shitgibbon, but he has still shown considerable degradation in the ability to be coherent at all times.

 

[barbos]

It sounds to me like barbos is ignoring the very evidence before his eyes. I'd say barbos is in denial.

Yes, Cheeto Benito started out as an ignorant, arrogant asshole shitgibbon, but he has still shown considerable degradation in the ability to be coherent at all times.

He does not show any noticeable degradation over the last 15 years. Whatever he has (and he does have it) it's not Alzheimer.

 

[whollygoats]

It sounds to me like barbos is ignoring the very evidence before his eyes. I'd say barbos is in denial.

Yes, Cheeto Benito started out as an ignorant, arrogant asshole shitgibbon, but he has still shown considerable degradation in the ability to be coherent at all times.

He does not show any noticeable degradation over the last 15 years. Whatever he has (and he does have it) it's not Alzheimer.

You mean all that with just plain ol' senile dementia? That sounds like splitting hairs, in light of the situation.

 

[whollygoats]

Don't forget that twice, after getting off AF1, Mango Mussolini couldn't locate his car right in front of him.

Aw, that's no biggie. That's just when the batteries on Vladimir's remote need replacement.

 

[Elixir]

It sounds to me like barbos is ignoring the very evidence before his eyes. I'd say barbos is in denial.

Yes, Cheeto Benito started out as an ignorant, arrogant asshole shitgibbon, but he has still shown considerable degradation in the ability to be coherent at all times.

He does not show any noticeable degradation over the last 15 years. Whatever he has (and he does have it) it's not Alzheimer.

Your inability to notice the degradation of Cheato's mental state over the last 15 years (which is blatantly apparent to many others) is not counter-evidence to the hypothesis that he is suffering from alzheimer's. Personally I ascribe some of it to the fact that for once in his life, he is NOT in control of things around him - like the DOJ, which he falsely asserts he is in total control of. That has to be profoundly disturbing and frustrating to him, whether or not there are exacerbating medical factors.

 

[Loren Pechtel]

He certainly acts like he has some form of dementia. Exactly what form I won't even try to guess.

 

[Elixir]

He certainly acts like he has some form of dementia. Exactly what form I won't even try to guess.

I'm guessing "Post Turtle" syndrome.

 

[RavenSky]

Forgetting stuff does not necessarily mean anything. It's forgetting stuff you are not supposed to forget you need to worry about - relatives, your name, where you live, etc. Forgetting where you put keys means you are a human. And forgetting stuff you are not supposed to forget is something you yourself as a patient will notice and realize you have a problem.

Forgetting that your wife is on a trip with you and standing right next to you at that moment?

 

[Patooka]

Forgetting stuff does not necessarily mean anything. It's forgetting stuff you are not supposed to forget you need to worry about - relatives, your name, where you live, etc. Forgetting where you put keys means you are a human. And forgetting stuff you are not supposed to forget is something you yourself as a patient will notice and realize you have a problem.

Forgetting that your wife is on a trip with you and standing right next to you at that moment?

Not sure that's a good example. Melania worked damn hard at being invisible this year. Not that I blame her.

 

[braces_for_impact]

I mostly have my doubts about such accusations, and really, I don't find it very helpful in getting us out of this predicament we're in, either. There is one exception that makes me wonder. Look up some Trump's interviews from the 80's and 90's. He almost strikes one as well, not quite stupid in comparison to how he is today.

 

[Ford]

I mostly have my doubts about such accusations, and really, I don't find it very helpful in getting us out of this predicament we're in, either. There is one exception that makes me wonder. Look up some Trump's interviews from the 80's and 90's. He almost strikes one as well, not quite stupid in comparison to how he is today.

I watched the last non-celebrity season of The Apprentice because I knew one of the contestants. That was a little over 10 years ago. In the "boardroom" scenes (which were unscripted but edited) he came across as lucid and my friend said that despite being a creep, he seemed to be fairly intelligent. The interviews he's given over the last year sound like a different person altogether.

 

[braces_for_impact]

I mostly have my doubts about such accusations, and really, I don't find it very helpful in getting us out of this predicament we're in, either. There is one exception that makes me wonder. Look up some Trump's interviews from the 80's and 90's. He almost strikes one as well, not quite stupid in comparison to how he is today.

I watched the last non-celebrity season of The Apprentice because I knew one of the contestants. That was a little over 10 years ago. In the "boardroom" scenes (which were unscripted but edited) he came across as lucid and my friend said that despite being a creep, he seemed to be fairly intelligent. The interviews he's given over the last year sound like a different person altogether.

I agree it sounds very different, but we're talking about a editing job designed to make Trump look capable, as the star of the show, compared to an unscripted and unscheduled interview. Two very different things.

 

[barbos]

It sounds to me like barbos is ignoring the very evidence before his eyes. I'd say barbos is in denial.

Yes, Cheeto Benito started out as an ignorant, arrogant asshole shitgibbon, but he has still shown considerable degradation in the ability to be coherent at all times.

He does not show any noticeable degradation over the last 15 years. Whatever he has (and he does have it) it's not Alzheimer.

Your inability to notice the degradation of Cheato's mental state over the last 15 years (which is blatantly apparent to many others) is not counter-evidence to the hypothesis that he is suffering from alzheimer's. Personally I ascribe some of it to the fact that for once in his life, he is NOT in control of things around him - like the DOJ, which he falsely asserts he is in total control of. That has to be profoundly disturbing and frustrating to him, whether or not there are exacerbating medical factors.

And your ability to notice things which are not there is not evidence.