# 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:** 7
**Author:** ![Measure\_for\_Measure](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/measure_for_measure/32/557_2.png) [@Measure\_for\_Measure](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Measure_for_Measure)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2024, 4:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-trump-confused/996589/121 "2024-01-29T04:22:02Z")
Some science: > most existing research focuses only on severe cognitive impairment, intending to correspond to clinical dementia (exceptions [Crimmins et al., 2018](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7153285/#bib6), [2016](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7153285/#bib5)). In order to understand the burden of cognitive impairment in later life and not just the final years spent in dementia, we analyze any cognitive impairment, decomposed into mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and dementia. Cognitive decline progresses gradually. A much larger fraction of the population experiences MCI than dementia, and for much longer periods of life, with a high annual risk (10–15%) of transitioning to dementia ([Roberts & Knopman, 2013](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7153285/#bib36)). I am not a physician, but I suspect that at most Trump will transition into mild cognitive impairment this year. For me the actual diagnosis is less important than the extent to which Trump’s cognitive capacity is shown to be lower than Biden’s in an obvious way. Biden in 80. But Trump is 77, not much lower given his lack of exercise, sloppy diet, and genetic predisposition to dementia. ---
**Author:** ![Gyrate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gyrate/32/3588_2.png) [@Gyrate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gyrate)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2024, 11:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-trump-confused/996589/122 "2024-01-29T11:06:16Z")
> [@jsc1953](#): > > In the financial services industry, “unbanked” is a real word – an adjective, describing people who do not have a bank account and are therefore hard to reach through normal service channels. But I doubt that Trump was saying that “they” are trying to take away your bank account. “Debanking” is when a bank decides that they no longer want you as a client, usually because you’re seen as a high risk of using them for money laundering or other criminal activity, which can subject them to legal penalties and/or reputational damage. Coutts attempted to debank Farage for reasons I can only speculate about. But in the context of Trump’s speech, it makes no fucking sense. ---
**Author:** ![not\_what\_you\_d\_expect](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/not_what_you_d_expect/32/3246_2.png) [@not\_what\_you\_d\_expect](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/not_what_you_d_expect)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2024, 11:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-trump-confused/996589/123 "2024-01-29T11:17:12Z")
He probably can’t find a bank that’ll let him open a checking account or get a loan for 83 million. I think Deutsche Bank shut him down. ---
**Author:** ![Gyrate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gyrate/32/3588_2.png) [@Gyrate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gyrate)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2024, 2:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-trump-confused/996589/124 "2024-01-29T14:19:50Z")
“You can’t debank me! I’m going to start my _own_ bank! With blackjack! And hookers! And then run it into bankruptcy.” ---
**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:** [January 29, 2024, 2:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-trump-confused/996589/125 "2024-01-29T14:45:42Z")
> [@Gyrate](#): > > “Debanking” is when a bank decides that they no longer want you as a client, usually because you’re seen as a high risk of using them for money laundering or other criminal activity, which can subject them to legal penalties and/or reputational damage. Coutts attempted to debank Farage for reasons I can only speculate about. > > But in the context of Trump’s speech, it makes no fucking sense. In the context of Trump’s speech, it means exactly that. It’s Trump trying to convince the Regular Joes out there that The Powers That Be will be coming after Joe just like they’re coming after Trump and Trump’s buddies. That this is complete bullshit, is, of course, just to be expected. But that’s what he meant. ---
**Author:** ![mtnmatt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a3d4f5/32.png) [@mtnmatt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mtnmatt)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2024, 6:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-trump-confused/996589/126 "2024-01-29T18:28:13Z")
He probably got wind of a recent NYTimes story about peopled being “de-banked” (hopefully working) gift link here: > **[Why Banks Are Suddenly Closing Down Customer Accounts](https://www.nytimes.com/2023/11/05/business/banks-accounts-close-suddenly.html?unlocked_article_code=1.RU0.Xyd0.mPMfBZvqIKov&smid=url-share)** > > Surprised individuals and small-business owners can’t pay rent or make payroll, and no one ever explains what they did wrong. and of course only got the gist, and between that and the banks that no longer do business with Trump Org, it is a widespread crisis affecting everyone. ---
**Author:** ![Stratocaster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/stratocaster/32/16393_2.png) [@Stratocaster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stratocaster)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2024, 6:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-trump-confused/996589/127 "2024-01-29T18:55:31Z")
People seem to be trying hard to makes sense of the “de-bank” comments. Not sure why. The assertion is not that Trump is babbling absolute gibberish, without even a kernel of some sane thought he was trying to convey. Rather, it’s that whatever he wanted to communicate became garbled and twisted in his thoughts and words, a problem that frustrates most people with dementia. Here’s a full quote: > [@](#): > > But we’re also going to place strong protections to stop banks and regulators from trying to de-bank you from your— you know, your political beliefs, what they do. They wanna de-bank you and we’re going to de-bank. Take the last sentence, and in particular the final four words. “[W]e’re going to de-bank.” Whatever meaning we speculate he intended for “de-bank,” it’s tough to hammer those final four words into something coherent with whatever we think he means. He’s not just dicing words and grammar in his usual slapdash manner, IMO. He’s struggling to translate a scrambled thought into sentences. That’s the point, not that “de-bank” may or may not have some basis in sane conversations. ---
**Author:** ![CairoCarol](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cairocarol/32/3825_2.png) [@CairoCarol](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CairoCarol)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2024, 7:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-trump-confused/996589/128 "2024-01-29T19:55:04Z")
NM … ninja’ed, but I SWEAR that other post about Kwaj wasn’t there a minute ago 🤪 ---
**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:** [January 29, 2024, 8:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-trump-confused/996589/129 "2024-01-29T20:08:36Z")
> [@Stratocaster](#): > > He’s struggling to translate a scrambled thought into sentences. That’s the point, not that “de-bank” may or may not have some basis in sane conversations. Yes, but to understand what “de-bank” actually means helps us try to untangle Trump’s word salad. And a lot of people had never heard about any of this, so it’s worth explaining that bit. But the underlying point is that, this is what dementia looks like. I’ve seen some of this with my own mother, where she gets things all mixed up, and has a hard time expressing it, but if you ask around, you can sometimes decipher what the actual topic was, based on some keywords. ---
**Author:** ![Stratocaster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/stratocaster/32/16393_2.png) [@Stratocaster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stratocaster)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2024, 8:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-trump-confused/996589/130 "2024-01-29T20:39:44Z")
> [@Horatius](#): > > Yes, but to understand what “de-bank” actually means helps us try to untangle Trump’s word salad. And a lot of people had never heard about any of this, so it’s worth explaining that bit. Fair point. > [@](#): > > But the underlying point is that, this is what dementia looks like. I’ve seen some of this with my own mother, where she gets things all mixed up, and has a hard time expressing it, but if you ask around, you can sometimes decipher what the actual topic was, based on some keywords Well said! ---
**Author:** ![Peter\_Morris](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/peter_morris/32/359_2.png) [@Peter\_Morris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peter_Morris)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2024, 9:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-trump-confused/996589/131 "2024-01-29T21:07:50Z")
> [@Horatius](#): > > this is what dementia looks like It’s also what Trump looks like, and has done so for years. From 2015 [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/Elhyo-_fR0E/hqdefault.jpg "Donald Trump’s Rambling Sentence on July 21, 2015") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Elhyo-_fR0E) He may be developing dementia, but the evidence is he’s just a moron and always has been. ---
**Author:** ![Happy\_Lendervedder](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/happy_lendervedder/32/8488_2.png) [@Happy\_Lendervedder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Happy_Lendervedder)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2024, 9:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-trump-confused/996589/132 "2024-01-29T21:23:49Z")
I don’t think his Death Eaters even listen to his words. It’s all about tone, gestures and catch phrases. Always has been. They know that his tone, gestures and catch phrases piss off the people they hate, so they love it. They just go to his rallies and speeches for the camaraderie of shared hatred. ---
**Author:** ![Stratocaster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/stratocaster/32/16393_2.png) [@Stratocaster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stratocaster)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2024, 9:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-trump-confused/996589/133 "2024-01-29T21:29:14Z")
> [@Peter\_Morris](#): > > He may be developing dementia, but the evidence is he’s just a moron and always has been. Yeah, they’re not mutually exclusive conditions. That video seems more in the standard Trump word salad category, FWIW. ---
**Author:** ![Sunny\_Daze](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunny_daze/32/438_2.png) [@Sunny\_Daze](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunny_Daze)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2024, 11:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-trump-confused/996589/134 "2024-01-29T23:57:48Z")
A few gaffes from the last few months: Sioux Falls, SD when he was in Iowa Claiming that Biden will cause WWII Confusing Vietnam and Iraq conflicts Increasingly bizarre claims about the dementia test that he took > _that’s all the press covered. they didn’t cover the last question: multiply 4,733, multiply it times 7, divide — without paper and pencil, by the way — divide it by 4, add up another 37 … and a half. point five, I remember that.”_ Verbal gibberish like > _“the first non-incumpenentguu — and remember this …”_ > _“… which is incapable of solven … even the sollest … smallest problem. the simplest of problems we can no longer solve. we can’t do anything. we are an institute in a powerful death penalty. we will put this on. we have to.”_ (There are some other great quotes that I can’t find this second) YES - IMHO he is confused and it’s getting worse. He’s talked word salad for years, but it’s much worse now. ---
**Author:** ![SingleMalt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/singlemalt/32/3961_2.png) [@SingleMalt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SingleMalt)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2024, 1:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-trump-confused/996589/135 "2024-01-30T01:02:18Z")
Lately, Trump has been repeating anecdotes at his rallies, forgetting that he had already told the story. I’m no expert, but I’ve been told that’s a sign of cognitive decline. ---
**Author:** ![Stratocaster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/stratocaster/32/16393_2.png) [@Stratocaster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stratocaster)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2024, 1:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-trump-confused/996589/136 "2024-01-30T01:08:52Z")
> [@Sunny\_Daze](#): > > Verbal gibberish like > > > _“the first non-incumpenentguu — and remember this …”_ Yep, this is the type of stumble I said to keep an eye open for—struggling with a word or phrase, then giving up and moving on in a panic. People with all their faculties just correct a stumble. People in decline develop compensating strategies. Eventually they’re not even aware they’re struggling, at least not always. It makes some kind of sense in their heads, good enough. IMO, Trump is currently in the phase where he knows something’s wrong and doesn’t know what to do about it. Seriously, watch for it. It’s happening regularly now. ---
**Author:** ![Peter\_Morris](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/peter_morris/32/359_2.png) [@Peter\_Morris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peter_Morris)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2024, 2:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-trump-confused/996589/137 "2024-01-30T02:22:31Z")
> [@Sunny\_Daze](#): > > Confusing Vietnam and Iraq conflicts I must have missed this one - got a cite? ---
**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:** [January 30, 2024, 2:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-trump-confused/996589/138 "2024-01-30T02:42:54Z")
> [@Sunny\_Daze](#): > > Confusing Vietnam and Iraq conflicts Tangent: I went to get a funeral suit at Mens’ Wearhouse, and had the option of donating money to veterans. I told the kid, ‘I married a vet.’ He said, ‘Vietnam?’ _Dude!_ I’m not _that_ old! ---
**Author:** ![Sunny\_Daze](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunny_daze/32/438_2.png) [@Sunny\_Daze](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunny_Daze)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2024, 2:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-trump-confused/996589/139 "2024-01-30T02:59:31Z")
> [@Peter\_Morris](#): > > I must have missed this one - got a cite? Of course, now I can’t find the clip. Please withdraw my comment. If I find the clip, then I will post it. Here’s some of the things I mentioned, in, yes, a Lincoln Project compilation. (slight embarrassment) > > > POLITICO @politico Another quote > _“magnets. now, all I know about magnets is this: give me a glass of water, let me drop it on the magnets, that’s the end of the magnets.”_ ---
**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:** [January 30, 2024, 3:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-trump-confused/996589/140 "2024-01-30T03:15:50Z")
> [@Peter\_Morris](#): > > I must have missed this one - got a cite? A truncated clip once gave the mistaken impression that he did but it was corrected. > **[Trump \[does not — see update\] Vietnam War with Desert Storm in bizarre speech...](https://boingboing.net/2024/01/22/trump-confuses-vietnam-war-with-desert-storm-in-bizarre-peech-video.html/amp)** > > Donald Trump's recent speech mistake confused the Vietnam War with Desert Storm. #DementiaDon [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-trump-confused/996589.md?page=6) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-trump-confused/996589.md?page=8)