President Donald Trump's recent social media post storm alarmed one doctor, who said on Sunday that he saw it as evidence that the president is suffering a common side effect from having a stroke.
Last week, Trump stayed up late into the night, firing off posts on Truth Social that ranged from attacks against his political enemies to complaints about how he did not win the Nobel Peace Prize and his appearance at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. The late-night tirade seemed emblematic of someone who is suffering from "agitated depression," which is a common side effect of people who have suffered from a stroke, according to Dr. Bruce Davidson, a professor at Washington State University’s Elson S. Floyd College of Medicine.
Davidson discussed Trump's recent behavior on "The Daily Beast Podcast" with Joana Coles.
"He's up at night, which can worsen depression. It's common to get depression," Davidson said. "And, he's angry because he didn't get a Nobel Prize. I mean, here's a man who's been elected president twice, and he cares about a Nobel Prize. Bob Dylan got a Nobel Prize. What's the big deal? And, other things seem to get under his skin, and so it concerns me."
Davidson also claimed that the episode may show Trump needs more help from his surrounding medical advisors than he's currently receiving.
"A physician has three primary responsibilities. The first is relief of suffering. Second, prevent disability, and the third priority is postpone death. That's what we're supposed to do," Davidson said. "When I see the president appearing like a patient having trouble, I want his physicians to engage. And this illustrates, I regret to say, a terrible, increasing weakness in American medical leadership."