Does Donald Trump have dementia? 8 troubling signs that deserve a closer look

The health of the president is important. After all, we wouldn’t want a repeat of the fates met by Presidents William Henry Harrison, or Zachary Taylor, or good ol’ FDR (everyone nod and pretend you totally know that these men all died due to health issues while in office). And the health of presidential candidates seems to be a pretty huge issue lately. It certainly is to Republican nominee Donald Trump and his crew, as demonstrated by his constant claims that Democratic rival Hillary Clinton lacks the “mental and physical” stamina to take on ISIS or be the leader of the free world or think clear thoughts or put on pants, or basically anything that a president would need to do. The point is, Trump is concerned about Clinton’s health, and the health of all women, really.

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But I think we’re overlooking the obvious truth behind all of this: Trump’s concern over Clinton’s health is a red herring. At 70-years-old, two years Clinton’s senior, how healthy is Trump?

For all his glowing skin and bold language, he honestly might not be doing too great. For starters, probable jaundice. Additionally, there’s been speculation of late that he might have dementia. No, seriously. Now, whether or not Trump really has dementia is to be seen, but the signs are there, folks. And they aren’t even brand new signs: Death and Taxes first posed this VERY REAL question last year.

Now, I’m no doctor — and let us to not forget that Donald J. Trump has nothing if not the world’s most professional doctor. (Hey, remember that one letter by Trump’s doctor that read suspiciously like Trump’s own unique, superlative-heavy language excessively praising the candidate’s health might have hidden a nasty secret? Yeah, I knew you remembered, I just wanted to talk about it because it brings me joy.) Leaving aside, for the moment, how plenty of people who have either worked closely with Trump or have advanced degrees in psychology have associated the Donald with sociopathy, research into symptoms of dementia reveals that he’s exhibited quite a few.

Before I delve into those signs, take a minute to recall all the times he’s demonstrated these behavioral traits, courtesy of the Mayo Clinic:

“irritability, personality changes, restlessness, lack of restraint” — any late-night tweets in particular come to mind? Then there’s these cognitive symptoms: “memory loss, mental decline, confusion in the evening hours, paranoia”

I repeat: recall the late-night tweets

“disorientation, inability to speak or understand, making things up.”

The Alzheimer’s Association emphasizes dementia and “decline in memory or other thinking skills,” and similarly, Web MD associates the illness with “trouble recalling recent events or recognizing people and places,” and “trouble finding the right words.”

Now, I’m not outright saying Trump has dementia, but let’s look at the signs. You can’t argue with facts. That’s why they’re facts. Also, science. Let’s dig in:

The late-night Twitter storms

“@RubenMMoreno: @realDonaldTrump The biggest loser in the debate was @megynkelly. You can’t out trump Donald Trump. You will lose!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 7, 2015

“@timjcam: @megynkelly @FrankLuntz @realDonaldTrump Fox viewers give low marks to bimbo @MegynKelly will consider other programs!”

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 7, 2015

Trump’s Twitter shit storms tend to be unpresidential in their language and immaturity, sure, and they certainly demonstrate “irritability” and “lack of restraint,” but take a minute to just look at the time stamps on some of his craziest ones. He goes off in the wee hours of the night. “Confusion in the evening hours”??? Right. Like I said, facts. Most of what he’s saying is despicable, whether that’s sexist attacks on his favorite victim, Fox News’ Megyn Kelly, or accusing the hosts of the Morning Joe show of having an affair, but above all, this prompts the question of whether or not the man is OK.

The above tweets merely highlight his summer 2015 midnight crusade against Kelly. Let’s not forget his 4 A.M. Twitter rampage against Ted Cruz, in which he basically identified his former rival as Goldman Sachs’ bitch. Highlights below:

And, of course, that other 4 A.M. tweet from last month in which he identified journalists Joe Scarborough and Mika Brzezinski as two philandering “clowns.”

Irrationality is easily the most prominent and troubling symptom Trump has been long displaying.

The video of Muslims cheering on 9/11 that he definitely saw

Trump, late last year, claimed to have watched a video of “thousands and thousands” of Muslims in New Jersey celebrating in the wake of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks. Other than former rival for the nomination and known Islamophobe Ben Carson (who, actually, went on to walk back on his claims), no one else could corroborate that such footage existed. Sound like “memory loss” or “making things up,” to anyone? DEFINITE DEMENTIA (probably).

The time he confused Ben Carson with President Obama

Speaking of Ben Carson, worth mentioning is that one time in February, where Trump switched Carson and Obama’s names. Frankly, I wouldn’t take it personally if I were either guy. Trump has literally mixed up his wife and daughter before. SYMPTOM CHECKER™: memory loss, mental decline, disorientation, and inability to understand or speak.

The time he confused 9/11 with 7/11

Trump is not OK. Irrefutable fact: This is an instance of memory loss, or at the very least, a good example of his inability to speak.

He keeps forgetting he supported for the Iraq War

Donald Trump supported the Iraq War. That’s not speculation, that’s objective fact, and yet for the life of him, the man cannot seem to remember that. Poor guy. Thoughts and prayers.

All the times he pretended to be his own publicist

The signs were there so early! How have we missed Trump’s clear and present need for help and compassion? Does pretending to be one’s own publicist and rambling on and on about how wonderful they are really sound like the actions of someone fully in their right mind? If evidence of Hillary Clinton ever doing something like this ever came to light, I imagine Trump supporters would have long formed a mob and forced her into a rehabilitation center by now.

His intense paranoia about everything related to Mexicans

Early on, Trump made his unwarranted, intensive fears of Mexican immigrants coming to steal American jobs the focal point of his campaign, and imploring other to share in his paranoia that they are literally coming to kill us. Xenophobic and racist as fuck? Yes. Symptom of dementia? That, too.

Lack of empathy, poor judgment, impulsiveness, etc.

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He’s called Megyn Kelly a bimbo, made references to Hillary Clinton using the bathroom, fat-shamed countless women, compared current pal Ben Carson to a child molester, publicly distributed former rival Lindsey Graham’s personal phone number, forgot about the KKK and David Duke — the list goes on and on like a once-healthy man’s screaming descent into complete mental flaccidity.

I am in literally no position whatsoever to diagnose Trump. Even if I was a doctor, I would never be half the doctor that Trump’s doctor is. And also making diagnoses about someone’s mental health without their consent is unethical and shitty. All I’m saying is the signs are there. For what it’s worth. And if mental and physical health are suddenly of paramount importance for presidential candidates, why should only one candidate be spared of thorough examination? I just love America, guys. Get well soon, Trump.

Original by: Kylie Cheung