Experts warn Trump is 'showing symptoms' of rare condition that is getting 'worse'

A growing number of mental health experts have raised concerns about former U.S. President Donald Trump’s cognitive health, pointing to patterns in his speech and movement that they believe could signal decline.

Clinical psychologists Dr. John Gartner and Dr. Harry Segal recently discussed these observations on their program Shrinking Trump. According to them, some of Trump’s recent public appearances show a noticeable change in his motor performance something often associated with forms of dementia. They note that while language difficulties are usually the first symptom people notice, physical coordination and gait can also deteriorate as dementia progresses.

Specifically, Dr. Gartner suggested that Trump may be showing traits linked to frontotemporal dementia (FTD), a rare condition that primarily affects behavior, personality, and speech. One telltale sign of FTD, he explained, is what neurologists call a wide-based gait, where a person swings one leg in a semicircle while walking. In footage from a meeting with Vladimir Putin, Trump appeared to weave across the red carpet, sometimes overcorrecting his steps movements that Gartner and Segal interpreted as unusual.

Dr. Segal commented that Trump’s walking pattern did not look like simple imbalance but rather like someone struggling to fully control one leg. Both psychologists emphasized that these observations are consistent over multiple public appearances.

That said, Trump and his medical team have pushed back against such claims. Following his annual physical earlier this year, his White House physician declared him to be in “excellent cognitive and physical health.” Trump himself also boasted about scoring highly on a standard cognitive test, describing himself as in “very good shape.”

It’s important to note that only a qualified neurologist who has personally examined a patient can provide a formal diagnosis. While psychologists and medical commentators can highlight patterns of concern, speculation based on public footage should always be treated cautiously.

Key takeaway: While some experts see signs consistent with conditions like frontotemporal dementia, official medical evaluations continue to state that Donald Trump is fit and healthy. The debate highlights how public figures’ health can become a point of political and medical discussion, but concrete conclusions require thorough professional assessment.