In a recent candid interview, Dr. John Gartner, a psychologist and former professor at Johns Hopkins University Medical School, has reignited the discussion about the mental health of two of America’s most scrutinized political figures, Donald Trump and President Joe Biden. Gartner, who contributed to the 2017 bestseller “The Dangerous Case of Donald Trump,” is calling into question the cognitive capabilities of Trump.
Dr. Gartner, who has been largely silent since Biden’s inauguration, emerged to clarify his stance on both Trump and Biden, stressing the potential danger posed by Trump’s psychological state. According to Gartner, “based on his behavior, and in my opinion, Donald Trump is dangerously demented.” He points to Trump’s “phonemic paraphasias” and tangential speech, which are indicative, in his view, of gross signs of dementia, a condition not associated with normal aging but with severe cognitive deterioration.
By contrast, Gartner portrays President Biden’s gaffes as normal signs of aging and not as evidence of cognitive decline. He reminds the public that Biden has always had a stutter and has historically made gaffes. Yet, according to Gartner, Biden’s heart and judgment remain intact, suggesting that even in the face of cognitive decline, which Gartner is not asserting has or will occur, Biden’s benign nature and institutionalist leanings would prevent any malevolent or haphazard actions. In stark contrast, a “demented” Trump could have consequences tantamount to releasing “Satan unbound.”
The conversation with Gartner delves deeper into Trump’s personality, characterizing his behavior as “hypomanic,” a trait that contributes to his unpredictability and potential destructiveness. Gartner warns of Trump’s penchant for revenge and poses a chilling prognosis that one of excessive punishment and destruction aimed at those he perceives as his enemies.
Rather than perpetuating the sensational and ratings-driven dialogue about Biden’s age and fitness for office, Gartner calls for a more fact-based approach to evaluating the mental health of leaders, insisting on the gravity of these discussions given their implications for public safety and democracy.
Relevant articles:
– Dr. John Gartner on a tale of two brains: “Biden’s brain is aging. Trump’s brain is dementing”
– Donald Trump has ‘dangerous mental illness’, say psychiatry experts at Yale conference, The Independent, Wed, 17 Nov 2021 02:38:53 GMT
– Tim Apple. Oranges. German Dad. Mental Health Experts Warn That Trump Is In Decline., HuffPost, Wed, 03 Apr 2019 07:00:00 GMT
– Psychiatry’s “Goldwater Rule” has never met a test like Donald Trump, Vox.com, Thu, 25 May 2017 07:00:00 GMT