Trump’s Own People Are Calling Him “Insane,” “Unwell,” and Saying He Has Dementia
The big picture: The debate over Trump’s mental fitness has moved past partisan attacks. His own former White House lawyer called him “clearly insane.” His former press secretary said he’s “clearly not well.” And former allies like Alex Jones, Candace Owens, and Marjorie Taylor Greene are all questioning his mental state — using words like “dementia” and “gone mad.”
Why it matters: This isn’t just a media narrative. The 25th Amendment is being discussed openly by people on both sides. When the people who worked for him, supported him, and built careers defending him all start saying the same thing, it stops being politics and starts being a pattern.
The article that triggered him
Trump attacked the New York Times last night after their chief White House correspondent published a piece questioning his mental health. The article catalogued recent behavior: the “a whole civilization will die tonight” tweet, fabricated family stories, an eight-minute ramble about poisonous snakes at a Christmas reception, Sharpie digressions in Cabinet meetings, and geographical confusion. The Times said the impression was of “a deranged autocrat mad with power.” Trump responded in all caps: “HAVE THEY NO SHAME?”
Democrats go there
Schumer called him “an extremely sick person.” Jeffries said “unhinged.” Lieu said “batshit crazy.” Former CIA Director John Brennan called for removal under the 25th Amendment, saying Trump is too much of a liability and the amendment “was written with Donald Trump in mind.” The White House insists he’s sharper than ever.
The “madman” defense crumbles
Supporters compare Trump to Nixon, who used perceived instability as a negotiation tactic. Trump has leaned into this himself — telling an ambassador to tell North Korea he’s crazy. BUT historian Julian Zelizer says Trump has gone far past Nixon, noting he feels “much freer to unleash his inner rage and act on impulse.” AND the polls reflect it: 61 percent say he’s more erratic with age, less than half say he’s mentally sharp, and 49 percent say he’s too old for office.
His own people are saying it
Former White House lawyer Ty Cobb: “clearly insane.” Former press secretary Stephanie Grisham: “clearly not well.” After Trump called Candace Owens, MTG, and Alex Jones “nutjobs” with “low IQs,” they fired back — Owens said put grandpa in a home, MTG said he’s “gone mad,” and Jones said: “Once a man, twice a child. This is dementia.”
By the numbers
61% — Americans who say Trump has become more erratic with age
49% — who say he’s too old to be president (up from 34% in early 2024)
Less than half — who say he’s “mentally sharp and able to deal with challenges”
The bottom line
You can dismiss the New York Times as bias. You can dismiss Democrats as politics. But when your own former staff, your own former lawyer, and the loudest voices in your own media world are all using words like “insane,” “unwell,” and “dementia” — that’s not a narrative. That’s a pattern the country can’t afford to ignore.
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