New York Times Finally Addresses Trump’s Cognitive Decline

It is too normal for those of us reading and writing at progressive sites to explore Trump’s obvious memory lapses or latest bizarre behavior, after all – someone has to document it all and the bigger media outlets often hesitates to do so. It has reached a new bottom such that the venerable New York Times has come under a barrage of fire over its tendency to “sanewash” Trump appearances. Sanewashing has become a thing and will probably even escape the bounds of political discourse and apply to rockstars and chefs. But the Times might be making up for lost time in its latest article by White House correspondent Peter Baker. It puts Trump’s erratic behavior up front and questions how much he might be diminishing.

It is always appropriate to kickoff all such articles with a healthy dose of “everyone ages” stuff. It is as true as is the maxim that there is no substitute for experience and wisdom. Our elders may not come up with a quick answer and yet when it comes it’s often a better answer. Having said as such, Trump – like Biden before him – is starting to show some real problems that compel examination, especially after a bullet grazed his head (And thankfully that is all).

The Times writes of Trump making reference to the audience at his dreadful debate with Kamala Harris. You remember, the debate without an audience?

“Anyone can misremember, of course. But the debate had been just a week earlier and a fairly memorable moment. And it was hardly the only time Mr. Trump has seemed confused, forgetful, incoherent or disconnected from reality lately. In fact, it happens so often these days that it no longer even generates much attention.”

True – and it especially doesn’t generate a lot of attention in The New York Times. Shame on them for it. They will cite a Trump taco-salad quote about windmills, the price of Colgate, shark batteries, putting, and flush volume, but the Times will summarize it as “Mr. Trump spoke about a wealth of issues encompassing his platform toward economic stability… ”

So, as said above, the paper of record has as much explaining to do as Trump. They move on:

He rambles, he repeats himself, he roams from thought to thought — some of them hard to understand, some of them unfinished, some of them factually fantastical. He voices outlandish claims that seem to be made up out of whole cloth. He digresses into bizarre tangents about golf, about sharks, about his own “beautiful” body. He relishes “a great day in Louisiana” after spending the day in GeorgiA

Yes and look at where that got Joe Biden – and likely appropriately so. We all age but few of us are vying for the nuclear codes – the always cited line of responsibility. But presidents also have to meet with foreign leaders, twist arms with Congress, reach out to victims as the nation’s soother, all those things that go with representing the American people. The other thing is not just anyone can do it. At best it takes a very special disciplined and sensitive person. At worst, well – it’s anything goes. Whatever else we need, we need someone’s best.

It is too little too late with respect to Donald Trump. He is now more an identity than a man. He isn’t running on ideas, he’s running on grievances, some of which even his most ardent supporters don’t share – just as long as he hates liberals as much as them it’s all fine. It is scary. And even though the Times deserves some criticism it won’t matter much with respect to who votes for whom.

But it most certainly does matter if Trump takes office again. He is meaner, more petty, certainly more vindictive and one can go so far as to say that he doesn’t possess anywhere near the humor or charm he might have once had. He is less evil than he is angry, which is not the emotion one should have when asking for a job. This is especially true if he’s losing some discipline due to diminished capacity.

He will retain that anger if he wins and he will know where he wants it directed. His capacity for retribution remains unbounded.

God Bless: I can be reached at [email protected] and @JasonMiciak

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