The president has played golf 76 times since assuming office. Always at a private Trump branded property, where the guest list is not a matter of public record. Presumably he has done other things on those days — had lunch and taken phone calls and ‘meetings’ — but I wonder is that all — are these outings really only about recreation and relaxation with an occasional bit of work mixed in.
I wonder because the 71 year old president has shown alarming signs of cognitive impairment since taking office. I’m not referring to his awful destructive hurtful policies, but to his rambling and odd behavior, at times incoherent utterances and his fixations on the trivial.
Examples of alarming behavior abound, but here are two that stick out in my mind.
The President goes to a signing ceremony on Oct 16th — briefly speaks, greets and shakes hands, but then waves and tries to leave the room — forgetting to actually sign the Executive Order that prompted the public appearance. www.cnn.com/..
July 4th the President gets off Air Force One at Andrews airfield— the presidential limo awaits him at the foot of the stairs, but he walks right by, oblivious to the car. Aides lead him back. www.newsweek.com/...
Those are not the actions of a moron, they are typical behavior for someone who is a the least, a bit addled. It won’t take much effort to find umpteen additional examples of behavior suggesting cognitive impairment.
So, what if all those golf outings, visits to Mar-a-Lago and campaign travels are not just about relaxation, golf and fundraising, but are really a way for the president to discretely receive medical treatment, without calling attention to it. The president loves golf, but maybe that activity provides him with a convenient and plausible reason to travel out of the public eye for other purposes.
Yes, I do know that conspiracy theories are banned here. That is not what this is.
And yes, this is pure speculation — but with a purpose.
If the President goes to Walter Reed Medical Center, that is big news. If doctor’s come and go to the White House, they are logged in and out and the press will notice who comes and goes. At Mar-a-Lago (where the president spent 25 days between January and mid April) and at Trump private golf resorts, who really knows who is there when the President visits. The Secret Service must know, but the guest lists are private. Doctor’s don’t make house calls much anymore, but they still play golf and lunch at private clubs. That provides opportunity.
I’d like to see some follow up shoe leather research. Match the dates and times of Trump golf outings, post election campaign trips and visits to Mar-a-Lago with the travel patterns of medical personnel with expertise in the treatment of age related cognitive dysfunction. Is there any pattern — where perhaps the president and medical practitioners specializing in the treatment of age related cognitive impairment cross paths on those dates. en.wikipedia.org/...
We have a long history of president’s hiding their medical conditions or treatments and downplaying their serious health issues while in office. Consider JFK’s Addison’s Disease, Reagan’s declining mental acuity, Eisenhower’s heart trouble, FDR’s polio and later his heart condition. www.washingtonpost.com/… www.healthline.com/…
And now we have Trump — I’ll not make excuses for him, but maybe he isn’t just a mean spirited narcissistic ill informed moron. Maybe it’s worse than that. Maybe he is a mean spirited narcissistic ill informed moron with diminished mental capacity due to age related cognitive impairment www.vanityfair.com/... www.forbes.com/....
The prognosis is poor in either case, but I for one would be somewhat relieved to learn that he is receiving treatment, if in fact he is afflicted with age related cognitive impairment. However, if that is the case, medical intervention holds only a small hope for improvement. Treatment at best can slow the cognitive decline but will not reverse it. If the president is impaired, it will only get worse.
President Carter wrote about this potentiality in 1994 —the prospect of a president with a ‘neurological disorder’. It is worth considering his thoughts on the inherent weakness of the 25th amendment. jamanetwork.com/… There is little hope for remedy there — unless the president agrees that he is impaired — and how likely is that?
I support Tom Steyer’s initiative action.needtoimpeach.com/..., but impeachment seems equally unlikely given the sizable Republican majority in the House. Without a blockbuster bombshell from the Mueller investigation or a significant change in the balance of power in the House following the 2018 mid-term elections, it looks like we’re stuck with Trump.
But resistance is not futile. We need to keep fighting like hell to limit the damage.