Psychologist Flags Red Flags in Trump’s Cognitive Health
A psychologist has highlighted a specific incident he says “gave the game away” that President Trump may have dementia.
Dr. John Gartner believes the president’s repeated cognitive assessments weren’t routine check-ups but ongoing monitoring of a known condition. Speaking to The Daily Beast, he said Trump’s public boasts about acing the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) tests suggest deeper concerns.
“You could maybe justify giving someone the MoCA once, just on their age, as part of a physical,” Dr. Gartner explained.
“If you’re giving it three times, you’re not assessing dementia. You’re monitoring dementia.”
Trump’s Test Brag Raises Concern
In April, Trump claimed he “got every answer right” on the MoCA. He repeated the boast in October, calling it a “very hard” test and comparing it to IQ tests, claiming others like AOC and Jasmine Crockett couldn’t match him.
Dr. Gartner says this kind of public talk is more red flag than flex.
“He kind of gave the game away again, as he often does,” Gartner said.
“Repeated testing suggests ongoing concern about Trump’s cognitive state. They’re giving him cognitive tests and MRIs every six months to monitor dementia or strokes.”
Gartner also noted a “mental status change” in recent behavior.
“We have to judge people against their own baseline. If someone doubles their rate of speed, that’s a mental status change of some kind.”
DOJ Image Controversy Fuels Suspicion
Questions about Trump’s mental fitness come amid another controversy. Last week, a photo of Trump with Jeffrey Epstein was temporarily removed from a Department of Justice release before being restored.
The DOJ explained the removal:
“Out of an abundance of caution,” the Southern District of New York flagged the image for review due to victim concerns. It was later restored with no alterations.
Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche dismissed claims that the removal aimed to protect Trump:
“There are dozens of photos of President Trump already released with Mr. Epstein. Pulling down a single photo because Trump was in it is laughable,” he said.
Critics Call Out DOJ
Despite the DOJ’s explanation, critics remain unsatisfied. Congressman Thomas Massie accused the DOJ of breaking the law and said he is drafting contempt charges against Attorney General Pam Bondi.
Survivors and legal experts criticized redaction handling. Attorney Gloria Allred said:
“We had to notify the DOJ about names that should have been redacted but weren’t. This is further trauma to survivors.”
Ashley Rubright, abused by Epstein at age 15, added:
“There’s no way this is just to protect victims’ identities. There better be a good reason.”
DOJ official Jay Clayton later admitted that the review process was prone to human and machine error. Many faces were blurred even when the individuals were not confirmed victims, highlighting the challenges of accurately identifying everyone.
