Donald Trump’s aides have reportedly been forced to speak louder in meetings so the President can hear them, according to reports, as speculation around his health continues
President Donald Trump’s staff have reportedly had to change meetings with the leader amid growing concerns about his health.
Ever since he assumed office, there have been doubts over whether Trump, aged 79, is physically capable of not only completing his term but even lasting a year in the role.
Despite receiving a clean bill of health from his doctor, Sean Barbabella, speculation suggests that he uses a catheter and suffers from dementia, allegations that the White House has categorically denied.
These rumours have been fuelled by visible bruising on Trump’s hands (attributed to excessive handshaking by White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt), apparent fatigue during some White House meetings, and occasional difficulty hearing.
In response to the latter issue, his “aides, donors and friends” have reportedly started speaking louder in meetings to ensure Trump can hear them, according to the Wall Street Journal.
Trump sarcastically addressed these hearing-related claims at a press conference, stating: “I can’t hear you. I can’t hear you. I can’t hear a word you’re saying.”
He later clarified that he only struggles to hear people “when there’s a lot of people talking”. Regardless, other experts have proposed more serious theories regarding Trump’s physical condition.
Speaking on the ‘Inside Trump’s head podcast’, biographer Michael Wolff tackled White House chief of staff Susie Wiles’ remark to Vanity Fair that Trump possessed an “alcoholic’s personality”. However, Mr Wolff proposed Trump exhibited a completely different type of personality disorder.
He claimed: “Susie Wiles might just as well have said that it’s like dealing with a dementia patient. The uninhibited aspects of his personality – anger, self-pity…become increasingly more uninhibited. He opens his mouth, and you go ‘, this is a problem.'”.
Mr Wolff went on to suggest that Trump’s potential age-related concerns mirror the difficulties and scrutiny faced by Joe Biden throughout his presidency.
He explained: “There is no way to diagnose the President. Clearly, Joe Biden had enormous cognitive difficulties. Everyone around him closed ranks to protect him.
“There is no mechanism for an objective diagnosis. This is not different now for Donald Trump. There is no way for us to say ‘he is experiencing cognitive issues of an alarming variety. Although Susie Wiles’ ‘alcoholic personality’ comment was curious.”