Doctors react to claims that Trump is sundowning
Key Takeaways
Online sources are raising concerns about former President Donald Trump’s health status and questioning whether he’s experiencing cognitive decline.
Since individual patient assessments are crucial in diagnosing any health condition, it’s hard to know what, if anything, is going wrong.
More concerns are being raised about former President Donald Trump’s health, with some news outlets questioning whether he is exhibiting signs of dementia.
To get a doctor’s take on the issue, MDLinx reached out to multiple neurologists and other doctors for their insights. Many of HCPs, however, replied saying that they felt uncomfortable or unequipped to comment on Trump’s health. For those HCPs reading this, perhaps you also feel that way—or maybe you have a more definitive statement that you’re itching to share.
While this article will not diagnose the former president with a health condition, it will walk you through some of the concerns being raised online so that you can think about how, or whether, you want to participate in this discourse.
What went down in Philadelphia?
Some recent chatter about Trump's health has popped up after his appearance in Philadelphia on October 14.[] In Philly, Trump took a break from a town hall speech to hold what some news outlets have referred to as an “impromptu D.J session,” during which he encouraged the crowd to listen to music—and bobbed along to it for about 30 minutes—instead.
What do Trump’s actions in Philly have to do with his health?
Trump’s actions in Philly are being described as impulsive and abrupt, which some experts suggest is a sign of cognitive decline.
Harry Segal, a senior lecturer in Cornell University’s Psychology Department and Weill Cornell Medicine’s Psychiatry Department, said in an October 16 that Trump “has become more impulsive, another sign of incipient dementia.”[]
Segal suggested that dementia could even explain Trump's “strange behavior in Philadelphia,” including his DJ routine during the event.
Are there other signs, too?
Recent events in Philly aren’t the only alarm bells for reporters. Some have been hinting that Trump has been experiencing mental or physical alarm for the last few months, citing examples like his debate performance against Vice President Kamala Harris in September. Mental health experts who examined the debate told The Independent that they were struck by Trump’s ramblings, frequent switch-ups between topics, and unfounded claims that suggested he had “lost touch with reality.”[]
Due to the 9 p.m. start time of the debate, some experts suggested that Trump’s actions could reflect sundowning, when dementia symptoms become more intense at night. Others suggested that these actions illustrated more general health deterioration.
Some people aren’t so convinced.
Despite the chatter about Trump’s potential health deterioration, not everyone holds the same concerns about the former president’s health—both within and outside of the medical community.
Of note, similar health concerns were raised about President Biden, largely when he was still in the running for the 2024 presidential race. Many doctors then admitted that they felt similarly unequipped or unwilling to comment on Biden's health.
As you know, it can be challenging to diagnose a patient with a health condition when they are not, in fact, your patient, and when they haven’t visited you in your office or talked to you during a telehealth or face-to-face appointment. It can be even harder to make a medical evaluation based on secondhand information, social media feeds, or news reports.
While there may not be one cohesive takeaway about Trump’s health status, different perspectives on his well-being may serve as a reminder for you to individualize your patients' care. Encourage them to reach out to you if they are concerned about their own health status, including cognitive decline, so that you can set up an evaluation and connect them with the help they need.
What this means for you
People are suggesting online that Trump is exhibiting signs of dementia, but a diagnosis has not been confirmed.