# Is Trump confused? **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Tags:** trump\ **Created:** [January 24, 2024, 1:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-trump-confused/996589 "2024-01-24T13:53:03Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 10
**Author:** ![Bill\_Door](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/50afbb/32.png) [@Bill\_Door](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bill_Door)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2024, 2:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-trump-confused/996589/181 "2024-02-25T14:18:57Z")
> [@Smapti](#): > > [x.com](https://twitter.com/LoomerLs/status/1761542291938783558) > > I eagerly await his explanation of how he was being “sarcastic” by “interposing” her name. I’m awaiting the media explaining why this is bad news for Joe Biden. ---
**Author:** ![Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/elmer_j.fudd/32/1211_2.png) [@Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elmer_J.Fudd)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2024, 2:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-trump-confused/996589/182 "2024-02-25T14:29:02Z")
He slurs his words so badly, I can’t tell if the word wife is in there anywhere. Defenders are saying he was referring to high MAGA priestess Mercedes Schlapp. ---
**Author:** ![DavidNRockies](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/davidnrockies/32/6279_2.png) [@DavidNRockies](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DavidNRockies)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2024, 2:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-trump-confused/996589/183 "2024-02-25T14:32:19Z")
Wasn’t he the **[Ethiopian Emperor](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Haile_Selassie)**?? ---
**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2024, 2:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-trump-confused/996589/184 "2024-02-26T02:55:43Z")
> [@aurora\_maire](#): > > > [@DWMarch](#): > > > > I hope the media just straight up starts calling her Mercedes now, particularly if/when they interview Trump. Ask him how Mercedes is doing and if he acts confused, show him that clip. > > I just wish someone would ask him where Melania _is_. In the before times, no one would get to be a presidential nominee without their supportive spouse by their side. Trump even tried to needle Haley about it. But it’s just another thing Trump can get away with that no one else can. He did attempt to answer that. Of course he’s all over the place. She was dealing with her sick mother. She’s a private person. She has to watch the nanny raise her son. She a private person despite being a highly successful model. But she’s going to be campaigning a lot more in the future. > **[Melania 'going to be out a lot' on campaign trail, Trump says](https://www.foxnews.com/politics/melania-going-lot-campaign-trail-trump)** > > Former President Donald Trump said in the Fox News townhall Tuesday that his wife, Melania, will return to campaigning in support of his presidential bid soon. ---
**Author:** ![Smapti](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smapti/32/17938_2.png) [@Smapti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smapti)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2024, 3:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-trump-confused/996589/185 "2024-02-26T03:03:17Z")
> [@Loach](#): > > But she’s going to be campaigning a lot more in the future. In two weeks. ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2024, 3:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-trump-confused/996589/186 "2024-02-26T03:21:32Z")
> [@Loach](#): > > She has to watch the nanny raise her son. The kid who’s 17, and will turn 18 in three weeks? 😉 ---
**Author:** ![PhillyGuy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ed655f/32.png) [@PhillyGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PhillyGuy)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2024, 4:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-trump-confused/996589/187 "2024-02-26T04:06:43Z")
> [@aurora\_maire](#): > > I just wish someone would ask him where Melania _is_. In the before times, no one would get to be a presidential nominee without their supportive spouse by their side. Many swing voters would dislike this kind of questioning. Bess Truman was another one who did not make First Lady a full-time job. And neither does Jill. Eleanor Roosevelt went to the other end, traveling abroad without her husband, and writing a daily newspaper column staring in 1935, taking a mildly more liberal position on issues than Franklin. As with cabinet members, First Ladies are probably doing their job best when they stay out of the news, If swing voters think both Democrats and Republicans are negative and nasty, they will vote for the real thing. Admittedly, I have a much clearer idea what the Democrats can do to hurt themselves then what they can do to win. ---
**Author:** ![aurora\_maire](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aurora_maire/32/328_2.png) [@aurora\_maire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aurora_maire)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2024, 7:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-trump-confused/996589/188 "2024-02-26T07:52:02Z")
> [@PhillyGuy](#): > > Many swing voters would dislike this kind of questioning. > > Bess Truman was another one who did not make First Lady a full-time job. And neither does Jill. I’m not talking about First Ladies, I’m talking about campaigning. (You do realize that Melania is not First Lady at this point, her husband is campaigning.) At least in modern times, candidates understood the pressures they and any spouse would be under. They wouldn’t proceed if the spouse wasn’t on board. I’d say that most voters would be concerned about what it would say about a candidate’s character if their spouse wasn’t seen to be supporting them. Of course, I’m talking about when character mattered to most voters. Which is obviously not true in the case of Trump. I was being facetious about Melania because Trump’s fans don’t give a shit about whether she supports him or not. She is as inconsequential to them as she is to Trump. As to First Ladies or Gentlemen, they are free to make of that what they will. It’s not an official job. It’s a role they agreed to take on when they started campaigning. If they show love and support for the President along the way, all the better for the country. ---
**Author:** ![PhillyGuy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ed655f/32.png) [@PhillyGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PhillyGuy)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2024, 1:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-trump-confused/996589/189 "2024-02-26T13:50:43Z")
> [@aurora\_maire](#): > > At least in modern times, candidates understood the pressures they and any spouse would be under. They wouldn’t proceed if the spouse wasn’t on board. [Daniel says in her book her mother was opposed to Truman`s political career from the outset](https://www.chicagotribune.com/1986/03/28/bess-truman-felt-left-out-on-atom-bombing/) Did the candidate/president hide that a bit? Yes. Same with Melania. > [@aurora\_maire](#): > > I’d say that most voters would be concerned about what it would say about a candidate’s character if their spouse wasn’t seen to be supporting them. Most? I’d say — a few. If you like an FDR or Truman, the fact that their spouses sometimes weren’t living with them becomes a nothingburger, easily explained away. And this is as it should be. Attacking Trump’s marriage is not going to save Joe Biden. Better we go back to saying Trump is confused. ---
**Author:** ![EddyTeddyFreddy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eddyteddyfreddy/32/18796_2.png) [@EddyTeddyFreddy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EddyTeddyFreddy)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2024, 8:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-trump-confused/996589/190 "2024-02-26T20:38:17Z")
> [@kenobi\_65](#): > > > [@Loach](#): > > > > She has to watch the nanny raise her son. > > The kid who’s 17, and will turn 18 in three weeks? 😉 Obviously the most crucial time! ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2024, 6:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-trump-confused/996589/191 "2024-02-28T18:34:28Z")
[Dr. John Gartner’s Expert Analysis Raises Concerns on Trump’s Mental Health](https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/dr-john-gartner-s-expert-analysis-raises-concerns-on-trump-s-mental-health/ar-BB1j1HQD) > According to Gartner, “based on his behavior, and in my opinion, Donald Trump is dangerously demented.” He points to Trump’s “phonemic paraphasias” and tangential speech, which are indicative, in his view, of gross signs of dementia, a condition not associated with normal aging but with severe cognitive deterioration. > > By contrast, Gartner portrays President Biden’s gaffes as normal signs of aging and not as evidence of cognitive decline. He reminds the public that Biden has always had a stutter and has historically made gaffes. Yet, according to Gartner, Biden’s heart and judgment remain intact… Earlier in the article, Dr. Gartner said, ‘Based on his behavior, and in my opinion, Donald Trump is dangerously demented.’ ---
**Author:** ![Horatius](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/horatius/32/3572_2.png) [@Horatius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Horatius)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2024, 6:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-trump-confused/996589/192 "2024-02-28T18:45:24Z")
> [@EddyTeddyFreddy](#): > > Obviously the most crucial time! In Trump World, this is probably true. He’ll be an adult, with whatever claim on Trump’s money he has coming to him via his mother’s negotiations. On top of that, he also has to decide: Does he join the Trump Circus, or withdraw from it as much as possible? Both choices have impacts, and I’m sure his mother wants him to make the choices she prefers. ---
**Author:** ![Moriarty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/moriarty/32/49_2.png) [@Moriarty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Moriarty)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2024, 7:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-trump-confused/996589/193 "2024-02-28T19:04:30Z")
> [@Horatius](#): > > On top of that, he also has to decide: Does he join the Trump Circus, or withdraw from it as much as possible? The kid is already pushing 6’8”. If he has any athletic talent, he may attract his own circus. > **[Will Barron Trump Ever Stop Growing?](https://slate.com/human-interest/2024/02/barron-trump-height-how-tall-is-melania-adopted.html)** > > Doctors and historians have some thoughts about whether this beanstalk has reached its full adult height. ---
**Author:** ![enipla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/54ee81/32.png) [@enipla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/enipla)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2024, 11:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-trump-confused/996589/194 "2024-02-28T23:45:42Z")
I feel sorry for the kid. I stopped growing at 6’4" While it’s great for many, many things, it did provide some challenges. Back in the day, I had a hard time finding a comfortable car, or pants that would fit. Yeah, presumably he’ll have enough money that that doesn’t matter. But just standing out like that has to be hard. ---
**Author:** ![EddyTeddyFreddy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eddyteddyfreddy/32/18796_2.png) [@EddyTeddyFreddy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EddyTeddyFreddy)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2024, 11:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-trump-confused/996589/195 "2024-02-28T23:53:02Z")
Yeh, it’s not the kid’s fault he got born to such parents, but now he’s got to deal with being a height freak on top of all the other crap his circumstances throw at him. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [February 29, 2024, 12:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-trump-confused/996589/196 "2024-02-29T00:55:56Z")
> [@EddyTeddyFreddy](#): > > height freak This reminds me of an all-hands meeting when I worked for Big Multinational Credit Reporting Agency. A VP said of the new President, ‘I’m not short. He’s freakishly tall. _Freak! Freak!_’ Crappy Management, but that was a good line. ---
**Author:** ![wguy123](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wguy123/32/3161_2.png) [@wguy123](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wguy123)\ **Post date:** [February 29, 2024, 3:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-trump-confused/996589/197 "2024-02-29T15:55:27Z")
> [@enipla](#): > > pants that would fit I’m 6’3" and have 36" inseams and have always had to special order pants. The worst was once I first hit 6’3", I was 135 lbs. That was a 29" waist. Try to find 29x36 pants. The only thing I could find where special ordered Levi 501s. Now that I’m a more normal 33/34x36, I have a lot more variety to choose from. Not to pick on Barron, but I can’t help to think of Cousin Greg when I look at that picture. It’s like the real life version of that show. ---
**Author:** ![enipla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/54ee81/32.png) [@enipla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/enipla)\ **Post date:** [February 29, 2024, 4:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-trump-confused/996589/198 "2024-02-29T16:13:00Z")
> [@wguy123](#): > > Try to find 29x36 pants. I was 32x38 at one point. Now, Amazon takes care of all my clothes. I. Do. Not. Shop. ---
**Author:** ![Great\_Antibob](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e47c2d/32.png) [@Great\_Antibob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Great_Antibob)\ **Post date:** [February 29, 2024, 4:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-trump-confused/996589/199 "2024-02-29T16:17:59Z")
> [@Johnny\_L.A](#): > > Earlier in the article, Dr. Gartner said, ‘Based on his behavior, and in my opinion, Donald Trump is dangerously demented.’ While I personally would agree and like to see solid corroboration, it’s also professionally questionable for Dr Gartner to offer an opinion when solicited as a medical expert without actually haven’t personally examined either person. Remember when Senator Bill Frist offered his opinion as a medical doctor on Terri Schaivo based only on watching a video for an hour? And turned out to be completely, ludicrously wrong? Professionals should not offer their professional opinions - or even things likely to be taken as professional opinions - when they can’t back them up. I understand Gartner is offering only a personal, not a professional, opinion, but that’s not how it’s being taken, and he should know better how to handle the ethics of that situation. If he had said he saw signs that indicated the need for independent professional evaluation, that would perhaps be a weaker statement and not a newsworthy one but it could be supported. We don’t need left wing versions of Dr Oz going around saying what they want based on shallow, superficial examination instead of direct study. I despise the appeal to authority inherent in that take, the further dumbening of our society, and the idea that the ends justify the means ---
**Author:** ![enipla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/54ee81/32.png) [@enipla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/enipla)\ **Post date:** [February 29, 2024, 4:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-trump-confused/996589/200 "2024-02-29T16:23:04Z")
Well, we can conclude that he’s an idiot. That much is clear. Don’t need a study for that. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-trump-confused/996589.md?page=9) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-trump-confused/996589.md?page=11)