'Not a smart man': Ex-Trump aide warns of 'civic tragedy' if he returns to power

Thanks to comments in Special Counsel Robert Hur's report that highlighted President Joe Biden's age and alleged memory issues, partisan political bickering has erupted comparing Biden's cognitive health with Donald Trump's. Biden fueled the conversation in his recent State of the Union address, dismissing concerns over his age and refocusing the issue back on Trump.

As columnist Chauncey DeVega points out, Biden "was clearly implying that it is actually Donald Trump, and not him" who has demonstrated serious issues with his brain health.

Speaking to DeVega was Miles Taylor, a national security expert who served under the Trump administration as chief of staff at the Department of Homeland Security. Taylor is known as the anonymous author of the 2018 New York Times op-ed titled, "I Am Part of the Resistance Inside the Trump Administration." His most recent book is “Blowback: A Warning to Save Democracy from the Next Trump.”

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According to Taylor, Trump is a "deeply troubled person."

"Strip away the politics and his biography, and any person who would spend time with the man would come to the same conclusion: he’s a sick person, devoid of any moral system beyond relentless self-aggrandizement," Taylor said.

Trump's interest in only himself "colors his every interaction," Taylor said.

"The man’s eyes scan every room — and situation — opportunistically for leverage, for moments to advance himself at the expense of others. This has happened to the people closest to him … to his employees … and to the country," he told DeVega.

"On a more simple level, Donald Trump has apparent repeated memory lapses, difficulty synthesizing complex information, disinterest in nuance, and an obviously low IQ. He’s not a smart man, and some would say he shows clear signs of decline. If it were a screenplay, a wannabe gangster with dementia might be an oddball comedy. But on the national stage, it’s a civic tragedy."

Read the full article over at Salon.