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Open Thread: Trump’s Continuing Decline
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[NB: check the byline, thanks. /~Rayne]By now you’ve heard about Trump falling asleep in the Oval Office on August 10, during an event related to an absurd and unacceptable change to the nation’s childhood vaccine schedule.
There’s a pattern to this behavior: he falls asleep during daytime meetings in front of the press, he has problems communicating…
Shocking Reason Trump Can’t Stay Awake: Psychology & Body Language | Dr. G. Explains, August 10, 2026
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E0YDwJcQj1Aand then his hand(s) will appear bruised but covered with makeup:
Aaron Rupar @atrupar.com
yikes! Trump’s hand is looking nasty today (Kent Nishimura/AFP via Getty)
1:41 PM · Aug 14, 2026 : Everybody can reply
The Independent’s Indy100 documented at least 26 times when Trump has fallen asleep in public since his term began. Trump’s attacks on “Sleepy Joe” Biden were projection; the public dozing looks like a degraded sleep-wake cycle common among people diagnosed with Alzheimer’s and dementia. The confusion he experiences as he fights off the dozing combined with his inability to communicate effectively may also be symptoms of sundowning.
Trump’s neurological and other health problems are affecting him beyond falling asleep in meetings or the right side of his body jerking.
Trump Is Losing It & It’s Getting Worse: Psychology & Body Language Analysis | Dr. G Explains | August 7, 2026
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lEXpDcwRqM0(Dr. G is Dr. Garrison, a clinical and forensic psychologist.)
Dr. Jonathan Reiner, cardiologist to former VP Dick Cheney, wrote an op-ed published this past week in NYTimes:
I Was Dick Cheney’s Cardiologist. Trump Has Not Looked Well, and We Should Know Why | August 12, 2026
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/08/12/opinion/trump-health-questions.htmlCNN’s Erin Burnett interview with Dr. Reiner about the op-ed and Trump’s health | August 13, 2026
video: https://www.cnn.com/2026/08/13/health/video/ebof-vertical-jonathan-reiner-nyt-oped-trump-health-sleeping-bruises-swollen-legsIn an interview with David Pakman, certified speech-language pathologist Hilary Shae discussed Trump’s verbal decline 11 days before Trump’s Oval Office nap:
Pathologist reveals Trump’s worst symptoms | The David Pakman Show, July 30, 2026
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lNuTn8NtMQoThis interview sheds light on Trump taking cognitive tests multiple times — the repeated testing is a flag in itself.
I’ve discussed Trump’s cognitive and other health problems before. They’re continuing to get worse in my non-professional opinion; his inability to plan and execute plans as well as his delusional thinking continue to damage our nation’s security. The GOP has failed and continues to fail the country and our allies by refusing to deal this this challenge constructively. They’re failing Trump with elder abuse by neglect; they’re failing their own party.
We need to discuss this problem more widely so that voters who’ve voted for Trump in the past realize Trump is not competent, and his party isn’t doing anything about it, nor are they doing anything about the damage Trump’s incompetency is doing to the nation and the world.
Voters are the ones who will have to do something effective about this situation in November. Until then constituents should continue to contact their members of Congress and demand action, before Trump does something even worse to abuse his office than he already has (which is difficult to imagine but here we are).
This is an open thread but let’s put an emphasis on Trump’s cognitive decline and his failing health.
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Cover photo: Trump with golf legend Gary Player at Trump’s Bedminster course in New Jersey on August 9, 2026 (photo by Icon Sportswire/Getty via The Independent, featured here under Fair Use). This image Trump manipulated to appear younger and healthier before sharing the manipulated version on Truth Social.The post Open Thread: Trump’s Continuing Decline appeared first on emptywheel.
