Donald Trump’s ‘Obsession’ With Joe Scarborough Could Be A Sign Of Dementia, Psychiatrist Says
John M. Talmadge, psychiatrist and clinical professor of psychiatry at U.T. Southwestern Medical Center, is sounding the alarm on Donald Trump’s recent attacks on Joe Scarborough. While the president believes Scarborough was involved in the 2001 death of his former aide, Lori Klausutis, Talmadge claims Trump may be falling victim to symptoms of dementia.
“Specifically with regard to his ‘obsession’ about Joe Scarborough, it’s quite common in dementia for the affected individual to seize upon emotionally charged material, in this case his hatred of Joe & Mika [Brzezinski],” Talmadge told Raw Story.
As reported by USA Today, Scarborough, who has known Trump for years, has also suggested that the president might have dementia. In particular, Scarborough said in 2107 that the mental confusion Trump was exhibiting at the time reminded him of his mother who had Alzheimer’s disease for 10 years. The 57-year-old MSNBC host also suggested that everyone working for the president is aware of his mental decline.
Talmadge noted that Trump’s tendency to fixate — which he says centers around “rage, grievance, and high emotion” — also targets others, including Congressman Adam Schiff and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.
“At the same time, he selectively ignores his own behavior (often worse) as well as the behavior of people like the criminals surrounding him: Manafort, Cohen, Flynn, and others. His inability to reason or problem-solve leaves him treating Kim and Putin like comic book heroes.”
Talmadge said that such “curious and bizarre” behavior is standard in “dementing illness” and suggested Trump’s “brain is broken.”
In a Twitter post on Tuesday, Talmadge posted an image that listed the signs of dementia. During his conversation with Raw Story, Talmadge claimed that Trump exhibits “countless examples” of all the items on the list. Some of the symptoms include cognitive impairment, the inability to grasp complex situations, mood swings, and poor impulse control.
Talmadge previously claimed on Twitter that Trump appears to have an inability to engage in abstract or strategic thinking. According to Talmadge, Trump’s thought process is akin to that of a child.
Many other psychiatrists have echoed Talmadge’s concerns over Trump’s mental fitness. However, some note that such critics are violating the Goldwater rule, which refers to Section 7 in the American Psychiatric Association’s (APA) Principles of Medical Ethics. According to this rule, psychiatrists cannot ethically provide their opinion on public figures they have not examined in person.
Concerns over Trump’s mental state have mirrored worries about Trump’s likely November opponent, Joe Biden, who some suggest is suffering from dementia.
