Months after targeting his former rival, Joe Biden, for his growing age and mental acuity, Donald Trump is now facing similar scrutiny regarding his own mental sharpness. The former US President’s public speaking style, characterized by gaffes and out-of-context references, has become a subject of analysis, according to Timothy O’Brien, author of “TrumpNation: The Art of Being the Donald.” In an interview with The Guardian, O’Brien emphasized that the billionaire politician has been questioned about his repeated errors and unusual statements in his public speeches.
Highlighting the gradual change in Trump’s public speaking patterns, O’Brien observed that the 78-year-old appears “hyper-aware” of the attention his mistakes are receiving. He suggests that Trump’s actions now reflect someone who is “very troubled and very desperate” as he attempts to provide complex justifications for his bizarre comments. “The reason he’s now offering these convoluted explanations of his speech patterns in his public appearances is because he’s hyper-aware that people have noted that he’s making even less sense than he used to. What we’re seeing now is a reflection of someone who’s very troubled and very desperate,” O’Brien told The Guardian. He believes Trump is trying to mask his noticeable changes in speech patterns with elaborate explanations.
In recent weeks, Trump has drawn attention to his cognitive abilities with frequent references to Hannibal Lecter, garbled words, and incomplete thoughts. Notably, during a rally in Grand Rapids, Michigan, Trump expressed a preference for being electrocuted over a shark attack while discussing electric boats. This incident further fueled speculation about his cognitive state.
Jennifer Mercieca, author of “Demagogue for President: The Rhetorical Genius of Donald Trump,” offers a contrasting perspective. She believes that Trump considers his meandering thoughts and speech gaffes as a strength, publicly dismissing the advice of his advisors who urge him to avoid them. “He sees himself as unscripted, not teleprompted, and a freewheeling conversationalist. He wants to be able to feed off the crowd. Another part of it is that his brain is not well-disciplined and it might also just be that he’s unable to maintain a thought and carry it through to his logical conclusion,” The Guardian quoted Mercieca.
While some interpret Trump’s speech patterns as evidence of declining cognitive function, others argue that his unconventional communication style is a deliberate tactic that he sees as a strength.
