Dr. Jonathan Reiner, who served as the cardiologist for the late former Vice President Dick Cheney, told CNN news anchor Jake Tapper that he was alarmed by President Donald Trump’s appearance and demeanor during his Wednesday speech.
“I thought the content was just standard fare that we've become accustomed to. But it was the way it was delivered,” said Reiner, a professor of medicine and surgery at George Washington University. “It was delivered in with a manic cadence, almost a frantic cadence. It was as if you felt like you were listening to a podcast, and that kind of manic delivery was very disturbing, very pressurized speech. And as the address went on the cadence of his remarks became quicker.”
“We've never seen the president like that,” Reiner said. “He seemed almost frantic. And it was disturbing to watch. It was disturbing because he's the commander-in-chief. He's not just the head of the government. He's the commander-in-chief of the greatest armed forces this world has ever seen.”
Other critics also noticed Trump’s high-energy delivery of fabricated numbers.
“This isn’t a speech, this is a primal scream of panic,” said Atlantic writer Tom Nichols, referring to Trump’s fast-talking “infomercial-style” delivery of bogus data and bragging.
“Why is he screaming?” said former Fox News, NBC News and CNN journalist David Shuster on X.
Tapper pointed out that Trump also appeared to be struggling to keep his eyes open during a public White House event in the Oval Office, which Reiner suggested may be connected to a night-time breathing disorder causing drowsiness, among other possibilities.
“It's jarring to see the president go from basically asleep in the Oval Office to a rapid-fire pace … in a 30-minute speech that he gave in 18 minutes. “… [No] one should be happy to see him … so loud and almost out of control.”
Coupled with the president’s chronic bruise, swollen ankles and “mysterious scans,” Reiner said the White House should be “more forthcoming” about Trump’s health.