Donald Trump is feeling “haunted” by the idea of experiencing the same cognitive decline that his father went through, according to a detailed analysis shared on MSNBC’s The Weekend: Primetime.
Timothy L. O’Brien, who is the senior executive editor at Bloomberg Opinion, appeared on the show’s second episode to discuss Trump’s recent remarks about wanting a third term in office, which is not allowed by the U.S. Constitution.
O’Brien, who has been observing Trump for a long time, mentioned that the former president is mostly motivated by either “self-aggrandizement” or “self-preservation.” He also pointed out that while Trump may dream about staying in power forever, he doubts that he will actually try for another term.
“He’d love to live until he’s 300,” O’Brien joked. “And he’d probably want to be president for 200 of those years.”
However, at 78 years old, Trump cannot escape the effects of time. “What struck me, watching that clip, was just how much Donald Trump has aged,” O’Brien said. “When we consider what could prevent a third term, yes, there are voters, and yes, the 22nd Amendment, but there’s also the fact that he turns 79 in June.”
Even though the Constitution prevents anyone from being elected president more than twice, O’Brien stated that Trump’s health, particularly his worry about mental decline, is a more urgent concern, according to The Washington Post.
“He is afraid of going down the same road his dad took, from dementia to Alzheimer’s,” he mentioned. “It’s a heavy weight he’s been carrying for a long time.”
Fred Trump, who was a successful real estate developer, passed away in 1999 at the age of 93 after fighting Alzheimer’s for many years. He was first diagnosed with dementia in 1991 but kept working even as his health got worse. “He showed up at the office every single day until he went to the hospital,” remembered family friend Richard Levy.
O’Brien pointed out that Donald Trump doesn’t often talk about this issue, partly because it could hurt him politically. He has made fun of former President Joe Biden’s mental sharpness, which makes it hard for him to admit his own worries. But, O’Brien said, people close to Trump have seen the signs.
“If you compare him now to the old Trump, his speech is more slurred, he’s slouching, and he seems really tired,” O’Brien noted. “I wonder how much real excitement he has left for the job, besides the fact that it keeps him out of jail and in the public eye.”
Trump’s nephew, Fred C. Trump III, shared similar thoughts in an interview last year with People, saying he has noticed signs of mental decline in his uncle that feel strangely familiar.
“Like anyone else, I’ve seen the change,” said Fred, who is 61. “And I see it happening in a way that’s very much like how my grandfather declined. Anyone who says there’s no dementia in the Trump family is ignoring the truth.”