# 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:** 69
**Author:** ![Robot\_Arm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robot_arm/32/18280_2.png) [@Robot\_Arm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robot_Arm)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2024, 5:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-trump-confused/996589/1394 "2024-08-09T17:05:45Z")
> [@Procrustus](#): > > “Willie Brown says he was never in a helicopter with you, do you have evidence to the contrary?” “That’s a very rude question. I agreed to this interview, and you start with a terrible question like that. It’s very unfair, but the press has always treated me badly.” ---
**Author:** ![Atamasama](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/atamasama/32/12961_2.png) [@Atamasama](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atamasama)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2024, 5:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-trump-confused/996589/1395 "2024-08-09T17:07:25Z")
> [@Robot\_Arm](#): > > He uses words to try to manipulate people. He tells them what he wants them to believe. On some level, he probably knows it’s not true, it just doesn’t matter to him. On most issues I’d be in full agreement, but he gains absolutely nothing with this if it’s a lie. By insisting that it’s an issue nobody cares about, when clearly it’s a big issue if not the biggest issue on the mind of many voters, and by claiming that people loved overturning Roe when the opposite is true, the only thing he’s doing is emboldening the opposition and telling his followers not to worry about it. I can’t see any possible advantage in doing this unless he thinks it’s actually true and is something he really doesn’t need to worry about. A Trumpian lie on this issue would be trying to use the issue to somehow attack Harris and the left. He’d [repeat the lie](https://www.cnn.com/2024/06/06/politics/fact-check-donald-trump-abortion-babies-executed/index.html) that the pro-choice movement wants to kill babies after they’re born. He spoke of “late term” abortions as recently [as the debate with Biden](https://www.nbcnews.com/health/health-news/trump-made-false-claims-late-term-abortion-debate-rcna159460). This is what it looks like when he lies about the abortion issue. Dismissing it as trivial doesn’t in any way help him and I suspect he really believes what he’s saying in this one case, solely based on that fact. ---
**Author:** ![Ellecram](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ellecram/32/18948_2.png) [@Ellecram](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ellecram)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2024, 5:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-trump-confused/996589/1396 "2024-08-09T17:14:28Z")
I think permanently addled, consistently flummoxed, chaotically turbulent and downright unglued are some adjectives to throw at him. ---
**Author:** ![Robot\_Arm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robot_arm/32/18280_2.png) [@Robot\_Arm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robot_Arm)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2024, 5:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-trump-confused/996589/1397 "2024-08-09T17:15:44Z")
> [@Atamasama](#): > > On most issues I’d be in full agreement, but he gains absolutely nothing with this if it’s a lie. Sure he does. If Trump can convince people that reproductive rights really aren’t important to them, that’s one less reason for them to vote for Kamala Harris. > [@Atamasama](#): > > A Trumpian lie on this issue would be trying to use the issue to somehow attack Harris and the left. He’d [repeat the lie](https://www.cnn.com/2024/06/06/politics/fact-check-donald-trump-abortion-babies-executed/index.html) that the pro-choice movement wants to kill babies after they’re born. It’s not an either/or thing. To Democrats, abortion is no big deal, and certinaly not worth basing your vote on. To Republican, Harris is a baby killer, and Trump’s overturning of Roe v. Wade should qualify him for sainthood. That is what Trump wants people to believe, so that is what he tells them is true. That they are contradictory presents no problem. ---
**Author:** ![Atamasama](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/atamasama/32/12961_2.png) [@Atamasama](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atamasama)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2024, 5:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-trump-confused/996589/1398 "2024-08-09T17:18:46Z")
> [@Robot\_Arm](#): > > Sure he does. If Trump can convince people that reproductive rights really aren’t important to them, that’s one less reason for them to vote for Kamala Harris. I don’t buy for a second that he’s trying to appeal to Democrats in any way here. Nothing in his press conference looked like he’s trying to convince the left of anything. I don’t think your reasoning is sound. ETA: I know this is my opinion and your opinion, and neither of us are “correct” on this. ---
**Author:** ![Robot\_Arm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robot_arm/32/18280_2.png) [@Robot\_Arm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robot_Arm)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2024, 5:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-trump-confused/996589/1399 "2024-08-09T17:58:50Z")
> [@Atamasama](#): > > I don’t buy for a second that he’s trying to appeal to Democrats in any way here. I don’t think he plans, or calculates, or thinks things through to that extent. This isn’t some carefully crafted media strategy. He wants it to be true, it would be to his advantage for people to believe it, so he says it. In the time it takes us to scratch our heads and wonder what he was thinking, he’ll have said half a dozen more things he wants the world to believe. ---
**Author:** ![Atamasama](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/atamasama/32/12961_2.png) [@Atamasama](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atamasama)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2024, 6:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-trump-confused/996589/1400 "2024-08-09T18:05:01Z")
> [@Robot\_Arm](#): > > I don’t think he plans, or calculates, or thinks things through to that extent. I think this is getting far off-topic from the thread, my original point was just that he seems unaware of the reality of the abortion issue, whether or not he actually is or isn’t and it’s part of some deceptive scheme seems like a huge sidetrack. ---
**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:** [August 9, 2024, 7:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-trump-confused/996589/1401 "2024-08-09T19:48:40Z")
> **[Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump)](https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/112933460513899494)** > > It will be interesting to see how loudly Joe Rogan gets BOOED the next time he enters the UFC Ring??? MAGA2024 1. UFC doesn’t have a ring 2. Rogan is a commentator, not a fighter 3. DUMBASS FIGHT! FIGHT FIGHT FIGHT FIGHT ---
**Author:** ![commasense](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/commasense/32/3017_2.png) [@commasense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/commasense)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2024, 8:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-trump-confused/996589/1402 "2024-08-09T20:44:53Z")
This article in _The Atlantic_ rightly lambasts the media for not reporting on how deranged Trump has become. (Gift link.) > **[The Truth About Trump’s Press Conference](https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2024/08/truth-about-trumps-press-conference/679425/?gift=hzomlMR2dBLPzkPdeme4aMa_zAlkdmAaH-fOQ8fOsu4&utm_source=copy-link&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=share)** > > His obvious emotional instability is frightening, not funny. Speaking about the recent press conference, Tom Nichols says, > … so much of what Trump said seems too bonkers to have come from a former president and the nominee of a major party, so journalists are left trying to piece together a story as if Trump were a normal person. This is what _The_ _Atlantic_ ’s editor in chief, Jeffrey Goldberg, has [described as](https://www.theatlantic.com/newsletters/archive/2024/06/the-unadorned-truth-about-donald-trump/678816/) the “bias toward coherence,” and it leads to careful circumlocutions instead of stunned headlines. He recounts several of the nutty things he said, most of which have been covered, if not in this thread, elsewhere on the board, pointing out that the major media don’t talk about how weird it was, but > Instead, _The_ _New York Times_ ran [this headline](https://www.nytimes.com/2024/08/08/us/politics/trump-press-conference-mar-a-lago.html): “Trump Tries to Wrestle Back Attention at Mar-a-Lago News Conference.” _The_ _Washington Post_ [said](https://www.washingtonpost.com/elections/2024/08/08/trump-harris-news-conference/): “Trump Holds Meandering News Conference, Where He Agrees to Debate Harris.” The British paper _The Independent_ [got closer](https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-politics/trump-press-conference-kamala-harris-b2593570.html) with: “Trump Holds Seemingly Pointless Press Conference Filled With False Claims,” but [CNN](https://www.cnn.com/2024/08/08/politics/trump-news-conference-attacks-harris-walz/index.html) went with “Trump Attacks Harris and Walz During First News Conference Since Democratic Ticket Was Announced.” > > All of these headlines are technically true, but they miss the point: The Republican nominee, the man who could return to office and regain the sole authority to use American nuclear weapons, is a serial liar and can’t tell the difference between reality and fantasy. > > Donald Trump is not well. He is not stable. There’s something deeply wrong with him. > > Any of those would have been important—and accurate—headlines. The press really needs to stop acting as if Trump is normal. He’s not, and he’s getting worse every day. ---
**Author:** ![Sherrerd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sherrerd/32/8_2.png) [@Sherrerd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sherrerd)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2024, 8:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-trump-confused/996589/1403 "2024-08-09T20:54:32Z")
> [@commasense](#): > > The press really needs to stop acting as if Trump is normal. He’s not, and he’s getting worse every day. . Your post quoted Tom Nichols quoting Jeffrey Goldberg as calling the phenomenon a “bias toward coherence.” I wonder if it’s even simpler than that. Maybe these reporters simply cannot accept the thought ‘I’m reporting on the words and actions of a mentally-ill person.’ And **to save their own image of themselves** —as a serious person doing a serious job—they re-cast Trump’s ramblings as being reasonable remarks from a legitimate political figure. Some have theorized that **our own self-image is so crucial to us that we would die to preserve it**. (And that this explains, for example, the action of a soldier who dives on a live grenade in order to save the lives of his or her comrades.) Reporters need to ask themselves _'am I making Trump look normal for no more noble reason than to help me feel good about my own choice to report on him?_’ ---
**Author:** ![jsc1953](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/5daacb/32.png) [@jsc1953](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jsc1953)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2024, 10:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-trump-confused/996589/1404 "2024-08-09T22:11:47Z")
> [@Atamasama](#): > > He truly doesn’t have any idea how big of an issue this is. Good! And I hope nobody tells him. ---
**Author:** ![Atamasama](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/atamasama/32/12961_2.png) [@Atamasama](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atamasama)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2024, 10:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-trump-confused/996589/1405 "2024-08-09T22:13:00Z")
> [@jsc1953](#): > > And I hope nobody tells him. I thought the same thing as I heard him. Bless your heart Mr. Trump, keep believing that it’s not a big deal and don’t let **anyone** tell you otherwise. Just focus on what race everyone else is, and occasionally complain about Joe Rogan and you will coast to victory. ---
**Author:** ![OldOlds](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/a3d4f5/32.png) [@OldOlds](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OldOlds)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2024, 10:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-trump-confused/996589/1406 "2024-08-09T22:50:54Z")
It’s probably simpler than all that. For two or three decades the “Liberal Media Bias” chorus has had an effect. And so they’re afraid to call it as they see it, and avoiding qualitative statements. ---
**Author:** ![Dinsdale](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/97f17d/32.png) [@Dinsdale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dinsdale)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2024, 11:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-trump-confused/996589/1407 "2024-08-09T23:08:46Z")
> [@Mahaloth](#): > > I think he’s confused, insular, and while not clinically insane, he’s way too bonkers(?) to even be mayor of a town. I think Harris’ most appropriate follow-ups during a debate would be, “Consider that answer. He DIDN’T answer the question. The part that was not gibberish, was entirely untrue. Is this the type of person you would want in ANY position of authority? Would you want him to be your boss? A police officer? If not, why would you want him to be the most powerful person in the world?” ---
**Author:** ![DWMarch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dwmarch/32/1010_2.png) [@DWMarch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DWMarch)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2024, 11:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-trump-confused/996589/1408 "2024-08-09T23:18:11Z")
> [@Atamasama](#): > > he seems unaware of the reality of the abortion issue, whether or not he actually is or isn’t and it’s part of some deceptive scheme seems like a huge sidetrack. I think in addition to his deteriorating mind, he’s also struggling with a deteriorating body. A side effect of this is that he has not caused anyone to need an abortion for the past several years now, hence why it isn’t important anymore. As his brain continues to fog, there’s only room in there for things that affect him directly in the moment. This is why he can so casually dismiss something that he _should_ know is a big issue to a lot of people. ---
**Author:** ![illoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/a3d4f5/32.png) [@illoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/illoe)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2024, 2:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-trump-confused/996589/1409 "2024-08-10T02:55:29Z")
The NYT had an article today about Trump pushing back on some fact-checking. [https://www.nytimes.com/2024/08/09/us/politics/trump-helicopter-landing.html?unlocked\_article\_code=1.B04.4Mup.ERCkD2wVHxCA&smid=url-share](https://www.nytimes.com/2024/08/09/us/politics/trump-helicopter-landing.html?unlocked_article_code=1.B04.4Mup.ERCkD2wVHxCA&smid=url-share) > We have the flight records of the helicopter,” Mr. Trump insisted Friday, saying the helicopter had landed “in a field,” and indicating that he intended to release the flight records, before shouting that he was “probably going to sue” over the Times article. > When asked to produce the flight records, Mr. Trump responded mockingly, repeating the request in a sing-song voice. As of early Friday evening, he had not provided them. The only people I’ve ever known who mock others in this way are either so deeply insecure that they are cruel to their very core, or are in some kind of mental health crisis. I guess with Trump it could be both! ---
**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:** [August 10, 2024, 4:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-trump-confused/996589/1410 "2024-08-10T04:15:16Z")
“I’d like to congratulate the woman who transitioned from a man into a boxer” > “If Comrade Waltz and Comrade Harris win this November, the people cheering will be the pink haired Marxist” > “Nobody knows what Kamala Harris’ last name is” > “Fake News ABFee” > “Everybody copies me” > “Put a windmill on top of the building” > “I did a lot of driving, I’d go to Juan, I’d go to some Fred’s house” > “Suburban women like me a lot. You know, it’s fake stuff. Why wouldn’t they? Why wouldn’t they?” > Imagine it’s 10:30 on Friday night and you wasted your entire evening to listen to a tired old man slur his words and ramble like an unfunny version of Grandpa Simpson. ---
**Author:** ![JohnGalt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johngalt/32/184_2.png) [@JohnGalt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnGalt)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2024, 4:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-trump-confused/996589/1411 "2024-08-10T04:28:19Z")
Hey, it’s a Friday night in Montana, nothing much to do. It was either go to the rally or go to the Walmart. ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2024, 4:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-trump-confused/996589/1412 "2024-08-10T04:30:17Z")
#trumpisdone That is the hashtag trending on Twitter right now. He’s not only too old and worn out, he’s also in terrible physical shape and has turned into a rambling, racist grandpa who just goes on about the same three or four things. He seems quite a bit worse off than he did in 2016 or 2020, even though his lies were just as predominant then. ---
**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:** [August 10, 2024, 4:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-trump-confused/996589/1413 "2024-08-10T04:31:33Z")
> [@JohnGalt](#): > > Hey, it’s a Friday night in Montana, nothing much to do. Surely there’s got to be SOMETHING better to do. Isn’t there a shitty Waylon Jennings cover band playing at Duke’s Bar or something? What about meth? They have meth, right? If Trump was my only other option for entertainment I might consider giving it a whirl. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-trump-confused/996589.md?page=68) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-trump-confused/996589.md?page=70)