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They want the president's cabinet to invoke the 25th amendment.
By Emily Blackwood — Written on May 06, 2020
It’s no secret that we all like to poke a little fun at our current president's slightly erratic behavior. But some conspiracy theorists are having us believe that he might actually be dealing with some serious mental health issues.
That's right, the man who once had his personal physician declare him the "healthiest individual ever elected to the presidency" could be displaying signs of dementia.
Does Donald Trump have dementia, Alzheimer's, or mental issues?
We found seven videos that show some questionable behavior of President Donald Trump. Take a look.
He got lost in Poland in 2017.
While visiting Poland July 6, 2017, President Donald Trump seemed lost on stage. In the video, Trump can be seen wandering around on stage and looking a little confused. And this isn't the first time.
He couldn't find his limo while getting off a plane.
Also in 2017, the president had to be redirected back to his limo after walking away from it while getting off a plane. Conspiracy theorists said that this behavior is evidence of sundowning, a symptom of Alzheimer's disease also known as “late-day confusion.”
What does sundowning mean? People who are suffering from Alzheimer's tend to get more confused and agitated in the late afternoon and evening. Their symptoms may be less noticeable earlier in the day.
But it's not just the people of the internet. While the state of Trump's mental health has always been in question, real-life experts have said that there's at least been a deterioration.
In 2017, Health Web site STAT analyzed decades of Trump’s on-air interviews, spoke with psychologists, psychiatrists, and experts in cognitive assessment and concluded the following:
"The experts noted clear changes from Trump’s unscripted answers 30 years ago to those in 2017, in some cases stark enough to raise questions about his brain health... John Montgomery, a psychologist in New York City and adjunct professor at New York University, said 'it’s hard to say definitively without rigorous testing' of Trump’s speaking patterns, 'but I think it’s pretty safe to say that Trump has had significant cognitive decline over the years.'”
He forgot to shake Netanyahu's hand during his trip to Israel and wandered off.
That decline, conspiracy theorists say, is evident in instances like when Trump forgot to shake hands with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during a visit to Israel.
In the video, Trump walks off camera despite Netanyahu reaching his hand out and attempting to pull the president back. It's not until one of his secret service agents points him back on stage that he starts to get back with it. But even then, he looks confused.
While Trump's random ramblings are the kind of stuff that memes are made of, the disconnect with reality is almost too hard to ignore when you put it on paper. Check out this interview with the Washington Post editorial board about using a tactical nuclear weapon against ISIS:
TRUMP: I don’t want to use, I don’t want to start the process of nuclear. Remember the one thing that everybody has said, I’m a counterpuncher. Rubio hit me. Bush hit me. When I said low energy, he’s a low-energy individual, he hit me first. I spent, by the way, he spent 18 million dollars’ worth of negative ads on me. That’s putting [MUFFLED]...
RYAN: This is about ISIS. You would not use a tactical nuclear weapon against ISIS?
TRUMP: I’ll tell you one thing, this is a very good-looking group of people here. Could I just go around so I know who the hell I’m talking to?
He walked out of a ceremony before forgetting to sign an executive order.
In October 2017, Trump was specifically attending a signing ceremony, when he almost left at the end without actually signing the document. The VP then had to grab him and remind him to sign it, to which Trump tried to joke, saying, “I’m only signing it because it costs nothing.”
He didn't realize Rudy Giuliani was sitting directly in front of him.
In 2017, Trump appointed Giuliani as the cybersecurity advisor. This, naturally, would seem like a pretty big announcement, but at the actual meeting where he is appointed, Trump looks around the room, as if he doesn't know where Giuliani is.
Spoiler alert: he was sitting right in front of him.
He confused Iraq with Syria in an interview.
So, basically, the president doesn't know basic geography. Okay, cool.
Conspiracy theorists have said that all of his other disconnected comments appear to be signs of dementia as well.
What is the 25th Amendment? Concern has grown so much in fact, that some people have even called to invoke the 25th amendment, which states that, "in case of the removal of the President from office or of his death or resignation, the vice president shall become president."
A section of the amendment says the vice president is to assume powers if either the majority of the cabinet or such other body as Congress finds that the President is unable to discharge the powers and duties of office.
About two dozen Democratic representatives signed on to a commission that would help to carry out a medical examination and determine whether the President was physically or mentally able to do the job.
While the state of the mental health of our nation's leader is still unclear, it's safe to stay that the world is definitely keeping their eye on Donald Trump.
Emily Blackwood is a freelance writer, editor and journalist who covers small business, pop culture, travel, health and wellness.
Editor's Note: This article was originally posted on July 6, 2017 and was updated with the latest information.