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Donald Trump’s frequently bizarre public appearances, which this month have seen the president claim, wrongly, that his uncle knew the Unabomber and rant unprompted about windmills on his recent trip to the UK, have once again raised questions about his mental acuity, experts say.

For more than a year Trump, 79, has exhibited odd behavior at campaign events, in interviews, in his spontaneous remarks and at press conferences. The president repeatedly drifts off topic, including during a cabinet meeting this month when he spent 15 minutes talking about decorating, and appears to misremember simple facts about his government and his life.

Over the weekend Trump, during a meeting with the European Commission president, Ursula von der Leyen, abruptly switched from discussing immigration to saying this: “The other thing I say to Europe: ​we’ve – we will not allow a windmill to be built in the United States​. They’re killing us. They’re killing the beauty of our scenery.”

Trump proceeded to speak, non-stop and unprompted, for two minutes about windmills, claiming without evidence that they drive whales “loco” and that wind energy “kills the birds” (the proportion of birds killed by turbines is tiny compared with the amount killed by domestic cats and from flying into power lines).

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[-] PapaStevesy@lemmy.world 8 points 7 months ago

This is literally how he's been for the past decade, it's his version of gish gallop. If he says something stupid that he knows is easily refutable, he just keeps talking and changing the subject and saying stupider and stupider things so it's impossible to even remember all the bullshit he said, much less what your response was going to be.

[-] Botzo@lemmy.world 1 points 7 months ago

At least it's a recognized rhetorical technique. That way nobody falls victim to it repeatedly, right?

The Gish-Gallup.

[-] brown567@sh.itjust.works 2 points 7 months ago

Call out the strategy by name, saying: "This is a strategy called the 'Gish Gallop'—do not be fooled by the flood of nonsense you have just heard."

I personally like to paraphrase the following: https://youtu.be/LQCU36pkH7c

[-] Botzo@lemmy.world 2 points 7 months ago

It has been so many years since I watched Billy Madison, and yet, that is one of the scenes that still comes to mind frequently.

It's a perfect retort. Or... Should be.

Who exactly is still in doubt about his dementia?

[-] Ileftreddit@lemmy.world 4 points 7 months ago

It’s just like Stephen Colbert said back in the day: “facts have a well-known liberal bias”

[-] saltesc@lemmy.world 2 points 7 months ago

bizarre public appearances, which this month have seen the president claim, wrongly, that his uncle knew the Unabomber and rant unprompted about windmills

He would make outrageous claims like he invented the question mark. Sometimes he would accuse chestnuts of being lazy.

[-] dr_evil@lemmy.ml 1 points 7 months ago

First time in a while that a comment has made me laugh out loud 😂

[-] yucandu@lemmy.world 2 points 7 months ago

I just watched comedian Mark Normand do a bit in Australia making multiple jokes about Joe Biden's mental status. I'm thinking who the hell is even still talking about Biden, let alone in Australia?

[-] SereneSadie@lemmy.myserv.one 1 points 7 months ago

The Project getting axed was the single good thing that Channel 10 has done since selling out to America.

Fucking Zionist, MAGA kissing cucks, the lot of them.

[-] RagingRobot@lemmy.world 2 points 7 months ago

He probably forgot he raped all those children too right

[-] aesthelete@lemmy.world 2 points 7 months ago

Read this earlier and loved it. Quality reading. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

[-] Pyr_Pressure@lemmy.ca 2 points 7 months ago

He's had the same issues since before 2016... Why is the media all of a sudden freaking out about it now? He has always been a delusional and forgetful person, the media's been ignoring it until now

[-] HellsBelle@sh.itjust.works 1 points 7 months ago

“The Guardian is a left-wing mouthpiece that should be embarrassed to pass off deranged resistance leftists as ‘experts’. Anyone pathetic enough to defend Biden’s mental state – while being labeled as unethical by their peers – has zero credibility. President Trump’s mental sharpness is second to none and he is working around the clock to secure amazing deals for the American people,” said White House spokesperson Liz Huston.

Liz Huston is a right-wing mouthpiece that should be embarrassed to pass off deranged physicians (ie: Dr. Phil, et al.) as 'experts'. Anyone pathetic enough to defend Trump's mental state -- while being labelled as unethical by their peers -- has zero credibility.

[-] Plebcouncilman@sh.itjust.works 1 points 7 months ago

For me the most bizarre thing with Trump is his obsession with windmills. It was fine if he brought it up once or twice but it feels like every time he opens his mouth he has to mention windmills. Maybe he was molested by a windmill or something?

[-] griff@lemmings.world 1 points 7 months ago

the windmills of his mind killed Big Bird

[-] BroChiMinh@gehirneimer.de 0 points 7 months ago

Maybe he's tilting against windmills?

[-] bigfondue@lemmy.world 1 points 7 months ago

Donald Quixote

this post was submitted on 03 Aug 2025
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