Experts say Trump’s speaking style shows ‘potential indications of cognitive decline’

Former President Donald Trump’s speaking style may reveal signs of cognitive decline, according to psychological experts.

An analysis by STAT — a media organization focusing on health — found that Trump’s common pattern of speech called tangentiality – jumping from topic to topic with few if any connections in between – is just one of a number of incoherent speaking habits that appears to have worsened in the last few years.

In 2017, Trump’s first year as president, STAT found Trump’s speaking style had worsened since the 1980s. In a repetition of that analysis, experts found that since 2017, Trump’s way of speaking has deteriorated further. The complexity of his speaking style has decreased and while the experts in memory, psychology, and linguistics who spoke to STAT noted that they couldn’t give a diagnosis without conducting an examination, several of them said some of the changes in the former president’s speaking style were possible signs of cognitive decline.

Before President Joe Biden dropped out of the race, the 81-year-old Democrat’s age and mental capabilities received the most scrutiny, particularly after his disastrous debate performance on June 27. But now, as Trump, 78, is running against Vice President Kamala Harris, 59, that focus is shifting towards the former president.

Trump has claimed to have “aced” cognitive tests and urged all candidates to take them.

“I want anybody running for president to take an aptitude test, to take a cognitive test. I think it’s a great idea. And I took two of them, and I aced them,” he told the National Association of Black Journalists last week.

During the 2024 campaign, Trump has appeared to mix up the names of Biden and his predecessor President Barack Obama, as