President Donald Trump has reignited debates about his cognitive abilities following recent misunderstandings during White House engagements.
The latest occurrence took place on Wednesday, July 30, 2025, when Trump appeared puzzled by a query regarding “burn bags,” which are routinely used by the government to dispose of classified materials securely. When asked about FBI Director Kash Patel’s discovery of burn bags containing documents from the Russia investigation, Trump initially responded, “He said what?”
After the question was repeated twice, Trump replied, “Oh, I thought you said appointed a man named Burn Bag, go ahead.” This confusion over common government terminology led to widespread discussion online, with many questioning the president’s familiarity with standard security protocols.
This event follows a previous incident at “Alligator Alcatraz,” a migrant detention center in Florida. When asked about the duration detainees would remain at the facility, Trump diverted from the topic, stating, “I’m gonna spend a lot. This is my home state. I love it. I’ll spend a lot of time here.”
Journalist Mike Rothschild commented, “He’s obviously losing his cognition and coherence in a way that’s becoming impossible to cover up or work around.”
Experts in mental health have voiced increasing concern over indicators of cognitive decline. Dr. John Gartner, a psychologist with tenure at Johns Hopkins University Medical School, suggests Trump exhibits clear dementia symptoms, citing difficulties in completing thoughts and substituting invented words for actual terms.
Gartner foresees a deterioration in Trump’s condition during his second term, suggesting a scenario akin to “Weekend at Bernie’s,” where staff might attempt to conceal the president’s mental state instead of confronting it directly.
Language specialists have also flagged issues. A thorough analysis reveals a trend of increasingly disordered speech, characterized by shorter sentences, jumbled word order, and lengthy digressions that stray from the initial topic. Clinical psychologist Dr. Ben Michaelis observed that Trump is shifting from logical thinking toward “circumstantiality.”
“That’s really where you sort of start talking about a topic, and then you just really sort of lose the thread entirely,” Michaelis explained during a PBS NewsHour interview. “And there’s a lot of that we’re seeing in his speech patterns.”
Other occurrences have fueled concerns. At an energy summit in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Trump relayed an inaccurate story about his uncle teaching the Unabomber at MIT, despite the Unabomber never attending MIT and Trump’s uncle having passed away before the bomber’s capture. Trump also mistakenly claimed that former President Joe Biden appointed Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell, although Trump made that appointment in 2017.
MSNBC columnist Michael A. Cohen argues that Trump sometimes seems unaware of major events within his own administration, and can seem clueless about major policy events. Trump appeared confused about his administration’s decision to pause military aid to Ukraine, asking a reporter if she knew who had ordered the halt.
At 79 years old, Trump is the oldest person to be inaugurated for a second presidential term. If he completes the term, he will become the oldest sitting president in U.S. history.
In April, Trump’s doctor released a health report stating the president was in “excellent health” and had passed cognitive tests. The report attributed bruising on Trump’s hand to aspirin use and frequent handshaking. Critics, however, note that this evaluation came from Trump’s personal physician, not an independent medical assessment.
Harry Segal, a psychology lecturer at Weill Cornell Medicine, highlights troubling patterns in Trump’s recent behavior, noting his avoidance of events requiring prompt and clear responses, such as refusing a second presidential debate and canceling a “60 Minutes” interview.
“Second, he has become more impulsive, another sign of incipient dementia,” Segal said.
The Trump campaign dismisses these concerns as partisan attacks. Former aide Alyssa Farah Griffin acknowledges Trump seems to be “slowing down,” but campaign officials reject such observations.
Some Republican lawmakers are reportedly being urged to investigate Trump’s mental fitness, marking a significant development since such calls typically originate from political opponents rather than allies.
Medical professionals emphasize that diagnosing cognitive decline requires in-person evaluation by qualified doctors. However, the increasing number of public incidents has intensified scrutiny of Trump’s mental acuity as his second term continues.
Trump maintains he feels “about 35 years old” and describes his cognitive health as “exceptional.” His supporters argue his speaking style has always been unconventional and that critics are reading too much into his normal behavior.
The debate over Trump’s mental fitness reflects broader questions about age and leadership capability in American politics, especially as both major parties have fielded older candidates in recent elections.
