Critics have questioned Donald Trump’s cognitive health after the 80-year-old stumbled through a televised Veterans Day speech and appeared to lose his train of thought
Donald Trump has found himself at the centre of fresh speculation over his cognitive health after appearing to lose his train of thought during a televised Veterans Day address. Speaking at Arlington National Cemetery on Wednesday, the 80-year-old US President seemed to struggle with his teleprompter while recounting the story of decorated Green Beret Ryan Hendrickson.
Going off-script, Trump stumbled through the details of the Purple Heart recipient’s harrowing 2010 mission, sparking debate among critics and social media users online.
Attempting to describe the incident, Trump paused repeatedly as he said: “In 2010, Green Beret Ryan Hendrickson was leading his team through a Taliban-held village in Afghanistan at three in the morning when he was…stepped on by…enemy. I mean, he was – the enemy was all over him.”
He then went on to add: “He made the mistake – a mistake that people understood when they were in the battles, jungles. He stepped on enemy explosives. A lot of them.”
In reality, Hendrickson, whose military career spanned more than two decades across three branches, stepped on an improvised explosive device while attempting to rescue an Afghan soldier, an injury that nearly cost him his right leg.
Following 28 surgeries, the serviceman made a full recovery, returning to the region multiple times with his Special Forces team before later authoring a book on his experiences and launching a global demining charity.
Viewers were quick to seize on the geographical error in Trump’s retelling, pointing out that Afghanistan’s famously arid terrain contains no jungles.
Sharing a clip of the moment posted by journalist Aaron Rupar, former US Marine sergeant Harrison Lansing joked on social media: “Ah yes, the famous Afghanistan Jungle.”
Commentator Joanne Carducci, known online as JoJofromJerz, echoed the confusion, writing: “The jungles of… Afghanistan?”
The halting delivery prompted fresh questions from critics regarding the president’s mental sharpness.
Podcaster Greg Bush said: “Watching his brain freeze, reboot, freeze, reboot, start in BIOS, and reboot again in live time.” Critic Jennifer Kimball added: “He’s reading from a prompter, and it’s still a word salad.”
Alongside the scrutiny of his speech, eagle-eyed viewers also noticed a prominent bruise on Trump’s right hand, which appeared to be covered with makeup. Similar bruising has been spotted on several occasions during his second term.
The White House has previously explained the marks as the result of “frequent handshaking” combined with a daily 325-milligram dose of aspirin – four times the standard medical recommendation.
Meanwhile, critics have also pointed to recent instances of swollen ankles, slurred speech and moments where the president appeared to doze off at public events.