New report sheds light on Trump's age-based changes: 'He's lost the capacity to pretend'
President Donald Trump, now approaching his 80th birthday, is displaying behavioral changes that have raised questions about his fitness for office, even as his White House dismisses mounting concerns about his age and mental acuity.
Unlike former President Joe Biden, whose physical decline became visibly apparent as he aged, Trump hasn't faced the same scrutiny for his apparent deterioration despite scaling back his travel, switching to more comfortable shoes and frequent snoozes during meetings, reported The Atlantic's Jonathan Lemire.
"I have long thought that a reason for that is the president’s sheer size," Lemire wrote. "Trump stands 6 foot 3 and, according to his most recent physical, weighs 224 pounds (yes, questioning that number is a legitimate thing to do). He is a big presence in any room, as opposed to Biden, who grew visibly thinner as he got older, adding to the appearance of frailty. Trump is also LOUD; Biden’s voice was frequently reduced to a gentle whisper. And Trump has the gift of omnipresence."
"His genius is in capturing attention. Biden’s public schedule grew sparse, and he actively avoided generating news; Trump holds multiple events in front of the press nearly every day," Lemire added. "He fills Americans’ TV screens and social-media feeds seemingly nonstop, with an almost unspoken message: How could he be fading if he’s everywhere?"
Trump has dramatically scaled back domestic travel compared to his first term, preferring extended "executive time" spent watching cable television, Lemire wrote. He now rarely conducts public events before late morning. When appearing publicly, Trump increasingly delivers remarks seated at the Resolute Desk rather than standing at a podium. On multiple occasions, observers have noted his eyes closing for extended periods during official events — instances the White House has dismissed as "blinking."
Most notably, the reporter added, Trump's social media behavior has intensified dramatically. In December, he posted 160 times in a single night. His Truth Social account regularly features late-night barrages containing misinformation, including false claims about the 2020 election, racist content depicting the Obamas, and apocalyptic threats toward Iran. In one April posting spree, Trump amplified content depicting himself as Jesus before eventually deleting it while claiming he thought it showed him as a doctor.
Trump's public remarks now feature increasingly pronounced tangents and disinhibition, Lemire wrote. At a White House Christmas reception, he spent nearly 10 minutes recounting a rambling story about White House doctors, Barack Obama's daughters, and Peruvian snakes — repeatedly interrupting himself to claim his health exceeds that of former presidents.
"Trump has also switched to more comfortable shoes, tossing aside the dressier pairs he used to wear for $145 Florsheims, and then giving them to aides, an act of generosity that — call me cynical here — also makes his own pair stand out less," Lemire wrote. "Then there are his hands: Throughout this term, Trump has sported a deep bruise on his right hand, which at times is covered up (poorly) with makeup. When asked about it, he has said he takes a lot of aspirin to have 'thin blood,' perhaps to ward off clots, strokes, or heart attacks. White House aides have said that leads to bruising after handshakes. But in recent weeks, the bruising has also been spotted on his left, non-shaking hand."
The White House brushed off Lemire's questions about Trump's behavior and scheduling changes.
“Here’s where you’re wrong, Jonathan,” replied White House Communications Director Steven Cheung. “President Trump has done more public events and has engaged with the press more than any other president in history.”
However, a Washington Post poll recently found 59 percent of Americans believe Trump lacks the mental sharpness necessary to lead the country. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer called Trump "an extremely sick person," while House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries termed him "unhinged."
Some Republican lawmakers quietly question Trump's judgment, particularly regarding his prioritization of vanity projects over promised economic improvements. One GOP lawmaker criticized Trump's proposed 250-foot monument between the Lincoln Memorial and Arlington National Cemetery, noting: "No one wants an arch when people can't afford to buy gas."
Trump will undergo his fourth publicly disclosed medical checkup of his second term on May 26, and he has repeatedly boasted about acing cognitive tests, though such claims typically raise rather than resolve fitness questions.
Veterans of Biden’s White House have expressed regrets that they did not address the growing concerns about the former president's age, which burst into view in a disastrous 2024 debate and eventually forced his withdrawal from the campaign.
"[Our] outdated approach to media undercut Joe Biden’s superpower — his connection with working people," said Andrew Bates, who was the senior deputy press secretary for Biden.
Trump has a different problem, that former official added.
“The most obvious impact of age on him is that he has lost the capacity to pretend he cares about other people,” Bates said.