Some GOP lawmakers think Trump ‘might be suffering from early Alzheimer’s’: conservative columnist

A conservative New York Times columnist says Republican lawmakers privately expressed grave concerns about President Donald Trump's mental health after a luncheon this week.

David Brooks tucked away a startling nugget in Friday's column, which made a lengthy comparison between Trump and Steve Bannon's takeover of the GOP and the Bolshevik takeover of Russia one century ago.

"Trump and Bannon have filled the void with their own creed, which is anti-biblical," Brooks argues. "The American story they tell is not diverse people journeying toward a united future. It’s a zero-sum struggle of class and ethnic conflict."

Brooks argues that Americans have based their political, ethnic and moral identities on partisanship -- and he cited the standing ovation Trump received from Republican lawmakers despite serious concerns, both outspoken and unspoken.

"The Republican senators went to the White House and saw a president so repetitive and rambling, some thought he might be suffering from early Alzheimer’s," Brooks writes. "But they know which way the wind is blowing. They gave him a standing ovation."