President Donald Trump may be one of the most powerful men in the world at this time but that doesn’t mean he is above feeling concern for his own well-being. In fact, some reports are showing that he is afraid that he might develop dementia as he gets older.
According to Timothy L O’Brien, the senior executive editor of Bloomberg Opinion, Trump is growing increasingly concerned that dementia may set in as he gets older, just like what happened to his late father, Fred Trump.
This came out on May 3, when O’Brien appeared on ‘The Weekend: Prime Time’ after the show debuted on MSNBC. He was talking about the US President, who is 78 and currently serving his second term. He also has been making comments that he is going to look into seeking a third term as president.
According to the 22nd amendment of the U.S. Constitution, nobody is permitted to run for office three times for any reason. Some speculation is coming to light, however, that he is still looking for an opportunity to get his name on the ballot.
According to O’Brien, Donald Trump is motivated, either by ‘self-preservation’ or ‘self-aggrandizement’. He also made the statement that Donald Trump would ‘love to live until he’s 300.’
O’Brien feels that he would like to be president for 200 more years if it were possible but he doesn’t think that he will run for office again.
The journalist spoke about the president’s interviews as of late, saying: “One of the things that really struck me is, Donald Trump has aged. When people talk about the things that are going to get in the way of a third term for Donald Trump, obviously, it’s voters. Obviously, it’s the 22nd Amendment. But he’s turning 79 in June.
“He lives in fear of going down the path his father went down, which was dementia, followed by Alzheimer’s, into his 90s. And I think he’s carried that burden forever.”
Donald Trump’s father, Fred Trump, was 93 years old in 1999 when he died of pneumonia and Alzheimer’s disease. He was also a real estate developer that was diagnosed with dementia eight years before he died.
While alive, Fred was the chairman of the board of Trump Management and continued to hold that title even after his diagnosis. He also regularly came into work.
One family friend and a business associate, Richard Levy, spoke about him after his death. He said: “He came in the office every day until the day he went to the hospital.”
Trump has often talked about former President Joe Biden and how he was declining mentally. O’Brien feels that he is afraid he may suffer something similar.
He said: “Watching how he answers questions now compared to Trump 1.0, he slurs his words a little, he looks weary, he is slouched. And I don’t know how much authentic enthusiasm he has for the power and the office he holds, other than the fact that it keeps him out of jail and it keeps him center stage.”
