Donald Trump is “haunted” by the fear of experiencing the same cognitive decline that affected his father, Fred Trump, according to a segment on MSNBC’s The Weekend: Primetime.
Bloomberg Opinion editor Timothy L. O’Brien, a long-time Trump observer, discussed Trump’s recent third-term remarks—despite the constitutional limit—and said Trump is driven by “self-aggrandizement” or “self-preservation.” While he may fantasize about staying in power, O’Brien doubts he’d actually pursue it.
“He’d love to live until he’s 300,” O’Brien joked, but at 78, age is catching up. “What struck me was just how much Donald Trump has aged,” he said, noting Trump turns 79 in June and appears more slurred, slouched, and drained compared to his earlier years.
O’Brien added that Trump fears the mental decline his father suffered from Alzheimer’s, a topic he avoids publicly—especially while criticizing Biden’s cognition. But those close to him have noticed signs. “I question how much genuine enthusiasm he has left,” O’Brien said, “beyond staying out of prison and in the spotlight.”