The Guardian: Trump’s public behaviour sparks concerns over mental fitness

U.S. President Donald Trump’s erratic behaviour during public appearances has reignited concerns over his mental fitness, as experts point to increasingly frequent lapses in coherence and unusual digressions during official engagements, according to The Guardian.

During a recent visit to the United Kingdom, Trump, 79, delivered a string of bewildering remarks that culminated in an unprompted tirade against wind energy. At a meeting with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, Trump abruptly shifted from a discussion on immigration to declare: “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.”

He continued with an impassioned two-minute speech, claiming — without evidence — that wind turbines drive whales “loco” and are responsible for mass bird deaths. The U.S. Department of Energy and environmental researchers note that such claims are misleading; the number of birds killed by wind turbines is vastly outweighed by other causes such as domestic cats and collisions with buildings or power lines.

Trump’s recent performance follows a pattern of erratic public behaviour throughout the past year. At a cabinet meeting earlier this month, he digressed for 15 minutes on White House interior decorating. On the campaign trail and in interviews, he has frequently strayed off-topic, misremembered basic facts about his administration, and made increasingly peculiar claims — including a recent, unfounded assertion that his late uncle was acquainted with the Unabomber.

Psychologists warn that such behaviour may reflect deeper cognitive issues. The abrupt changes in conversation are an example of Trump “digressing without thinking – he’ll just switch topics without self-regulation, without having a coherent narrative,” said Harry Segal, a senior lecturer in psychology at Cornell University and a psychiatrist at Weill Cornell Medicine.

While Trump was vocal in questioning President Joe Biden’s mental acuity during the 2020 and 2024 elections, the same level of scrutiny has not been consistently applied to Trump’s own conduct. After Biden’s faltering debate performance in June 2024, mounting concerns over his cognitive performance contributed to his decision not to seek re-election.

Now, with Trump well into his second term, a growing number of observers are calling for a similar examination of the president’s fitness for office.

By Vugar Khalilov