Psychologist Dr. John Gartner Claims Donald Trump Shows Signs of Dementia
Dr. John Gartner, a former Johns Hopkins professor and co-host of the Shrinking Trump podcast, has stated he is convinced that Donald Trump has dementia. In discussions with Joanna Coles on The Daily Beast Podcast, Gartner detailed a “major deterioration” in Trump’s cognitive and physical functioning, citing specific declines in language skills, motor skills, and impulse control.
The Methodology of Diagnosis: The Baseline Approach
Gartner explains that arriving at a diagnosis of dementia involves assessing an individual against their own established baseline. According to Gartner, this process requires observing a significant drop in functioning across several key areas, including thinking, language, psychomotor performance, and impulse control.
Gartner notes that Donald Trump was previously a very articulate person who spoke using polished paragraphs and a high level of vocabulary. He contrasts this with current observations, stating that Trump’s vocabulary has decreased and he is now occasionally unable to complete a word or a thought.
Evidence of Cognitive Deterioration
A primary indicator cited by Gartner is Trump’s tendency to veer into tangents in the middle of sentences. As a specific example, Gartner points to a sequence where Trump discussed immigrants being sent from insane asylums and then abruptly shifted to asking if anyone had seen the movie Silence of the Lambs.
Gartner further highlights a lack of factual grounding in these tangents, noting that Trump referred to “the late great Hannibal Lecter.” Gartner points out that Hannibal Lecter is a fictional character and therefore cannot be “the late” Hannibal Lecter.
Behavioral Patterns on Social Media
Beyond verbal communication, Gartner and Coles have examined Trump’s behavior on Truth Social. A livestream analysis focused on a series of late-night outbursts, which included a 1 a.m. Post and a “bizarre” Easter Sunday post regarding Iran, as evidence of these cognitive shifts.
- Clinical Observation: Dr. John Gartner identifies a major deterioration in Trump’s language, motor skills, and impulse control.
- Baseline Shift: The diagnosis is based on the contrast between Trump’s previous articulate speaking style and his current inability to complete thoughts.
- Cognitive Lapses: Examples include confusing fictional characters with real people and frequent mid-sentence tangents.
- Digital Evidence: Late-night Truth Social posts are cited as part of a pattern of erratic behavior.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Dr. John Gartner?
Dr. John Gartner is a former professor at Johns Hopkins and the co-host of the podcast Shrinking Trump.
What specific symptoms does Gartner associate with dementia in this case?
Gartner cites a decline in vocabulary, the inability to complete words or thoughts, poor impulse control, and a deterioration in psychomotor performance.
How does Gartner use the “baseline” to make this claim?
He compares Trump’s current cognitive state to his previous history of being an articulate speaker with a high vocabulary, arguing that the current decline represents a significant deterioration from that original baseline.
As public scrutiny of cognitive health in political leadership increases, the observations made by professionals like Dr. Gartner provide a framework for analyzing the intersection of mental health and public performance.
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