Trump’s ‘Incoherence’ at Rallies Raises Concerns of ‘Final Meltdown’ Among Critics

With less than a month remaining before American voters cast their ballots to elect a new president, concerns about Donald Trump’s increasingly incoherent public appearances are mounting among political observers. As reported by The Guardian’s David Smith, critics are sounding the alarm over the former president’s tendency to slur and ramble during his frequent rallies, suggesting he may be “in the throes of a final meltdown.”

American University history professor Allan Lichtman expressed his concerns, stating, “He’s definitely more undisciplined, unhinged, and deranged. He’s always had these tendencies but, as he’s gotten older, they’ve become much greater. The Hannibal Lecter stuff or the shark versus electrocution stuff is just insane, just crazy, and should be discussed on that basis.”

However, Lichtman emphasized that it’s not enough to simply label Trump as “unhinged” or “insane.” He added, “You’ve got to talk about also how dangerous and retrograde what he’s saying is. We also ought to stress the extreme racism and misogyny.”

Smith also highlighted the growing fears surrounding Trump’s cognitive health, noting, “Trump, 78, increasingly slurs or stumbles over his words, raising fears over cognitive decline. He is slipping in polls against Kamala Harris and knows that defeat could lead to criminal trials and even prison.” A recent Associated Press report further pointed out that Trump often shifts topics so rapidly that it becomes difficult to follow his train of thought.

Elaine Kamarck of the Brookings Institute observed, “He has definitely lost a step, as they say. He is less coherent than he was certainly four years ago.” She compared his speaking style to a frustrated child, telling The Guardian, “He reminds you of a sixth-grade boy having read something out loud at the front of the class who’s generally pissed off that he’s there and not on the soccer field.”

Tara Setmayer, a former Republican and vocal Trump critic, also voiced her concerns. “We’re being tested, and our democracy is on the line because what Donald Trump is saying is not just crazy batsh—ery. It’s dangerous. It’s authoritarian. It’s anti-democratic,” she warned. Setmayer emphasized that the stakes are high for voters, urging them to consider “the type of country they want to live in and what kind of future they want to leave for their children.”