“Shocking New Footage Sparks Concerns Over Trump’s Mental Fitness”

At a dazzling ceremony held in his honor in Saudi Arabia on Tuesday, former President Donald Trump appeared to momentarily drift off while reclining in a lavish gold chair. His eyes closed, and for a brief moment, he seemed to doze off.

A video of the 78-year-old ex-president suddenly jolting awake after being spoken to quickly went viral on social media.

One headline from The Daily Beast cleverly read, “Sleepy Trump Caught on Camera Nodding Off at Summit in Saudi,” a playful nod to the “groggy” label once used for President Joe Biden. Journalist Aaron Rupar tweeted on X, “Trump is having a hard time keeping his eyes open.”

Rather than chalking up the apparent fatigue to the 15-hour flight from Air Force One, critics suggested that it could signal a growing pattern.

In another widely circulated image, Trump was seen slouching in his chair with his chin resting on his chest during a meeting with Syrian ministers and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in Riyadh on Wednesday. But it wasn’t just journalists and onlookers making these observations.

White House insiders spoke to The Daily Mail last month, hinting that Trump may increasingly rely on Melania, not only for emotional support but also for physical assistance. One source remarked, “There’s a possibility that he’s turning to Melania for both emotional and physical stability… the president is getting older, and his gait seems unsteady.”

In exclusive remarks to The Daily Mail, insiders close to Donald Trump are fiercely defending him against what they call “false smears” regarding his health.

As Trump ages, it’s not unexpected to see signs of physical decline. By the time he finishes his second term, he will be the oldest sitting president in U.S. history, surpassing Joe Biden in age. However, some critics have gone beyond the usual effects of aging, suggesting that Trump’s health is deteriorating in terms of both mental and physical sharpness.

MSNBC’s Lawrence O’Donnell recently speculated that Trump may be showing early signs of dementia or mental illness. Timothy L. O’Brien, senior executive editor of Bloomberg Opinion, noted that Trump’s answers now seem slower and less coherent compared to his earlier days in office. He observed, “He slurs his words a little, he looks weary, he is slouched.”

O’Brien also suggested that Trump’s concern about following in his father’s footsteps—a father who suffered from Alzheimer’s disease before passing away at 93—might be weighing on him. Trump’s nephew, Fred Trump III, has expressed similar concerns, suggesting that Trump’s cognitive decline mirrors the slow decline of his grandfather, whose dementia was well-known within the family.

Others have drawn comparisons between Trump and Biden, whose alleged cognitive decline has sparked widespread debate. In their explosive new book Original Sin: President Biden’s Decline, Its Cover-Up, and His Disastrous Choice to Run Again, CNN host Jake Tapper and Axios correspondent Alex Thompson allege that the Biden administration went to great lengths to hide the extent of Biden’s cognitive struggles. They cite instances like Biden failing to recognize George Clooney at a June 2024 fundraiser and mention the president’s physical decline, which even led to discussions of him using a wheelchair if reelected.

These revelations about Biden’s decline, the authors claim, were obscured by White House staff, who used multiple camera angles and “jump cuts” to edit video appearances in order to hide Biden’s slurred speech.

However, such intense scrutiny of Trump’s every moment contrasts sharply with the more lenient media coverage of Biden’s challenges. For instance, when Trump struggled to walk down a ramp at West Point in 2020, the New York Times headline read, “Trump’s Halting Walk Down Ramp Raises New Health Questions.” Meanwhile, Biden’s physical difficulties have often been downplayed.

Democratic strategist Max Burns recently argued that questions about Trump’s mental fitness won’t fade and suggested that he should undergo a public cognitive test. “The American people deserve to know if their president is mentally up for the job,” Burns wrote in The Hill.

While some critics have made such calls, others close to Trump believe this is nothing more than a political maneuver aimed at deflecting attention from Biden’s own health issues. One insider, speaking to The Daily Mail, pointed out Trump’s intense global schedule as evidence of his vitality: “President Trump is traveling the world securing trillions in investments. These false smears are a clear attempt to cover up for the revelation that Joe Biden’s aides were preparing to put him in a wheelchair.”

A second insider, who knows Trump personally, argued that Trump’s workload speaks for itself: “The only verifiable disease and obvious diagnosis is Trump Derangement Syndrome. The president exhausts staffers one-third his age. I speak with him often, and he is leading peace deals, trade deals, hostage negotiations, and tax initiatives.”

Indeed, Trump’s packed schedule stands in stark contrast to Biden’s infrequent appearances. Trump gave a speech in Riyadh for over an hour on Tuesday, then traveled to Qatar to address U.S. soldiers at Al Udeid Air Base. On Thursday, he arrived in the UAE. His workdays begin at 6 a.m. and often last well into the night, with little room for leisure.

Trump’s personal health assessment, released in April, revealed no abnormalities in his neurological or cognitive tests, further bolstering his defense.

Even some of Trump’s critics are forced to admit that his physical health is improving. Dr. David Kessler, former science advisor to Biden, noted that Trump has lost 20 pounds, moving from obese to overweight, and saw improvements in his cholesterol levels.

In the face of mounting challenges, Trump’s supporters continue to push back, maintaining that his health is in good standing, while some detractors push for greater transparency regarding his mental and physical health.

When reporters later asked President Trump about the specifics of his neurological test, he casually responded, “It’s a pretty well-known test.” Without showing any signs of concern, he added with confidence, “Whatever it is, I got every one right.”