Donald Trump's public remarks spark concerns over his cognitive health

Mary Trump, the president's niece and a clinical psychologist, said her uncle is showing a "storm of psychological, emotional, physical, and cognitive decline," listing symptoms such as swollen ankles, bruised hands, hypersomnia and difficulty focusing. She compared his behavior to her grandfather’s Alzheimer's and warned of potential dementia.

During a June 24 press briefing on renovations to the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool, President Trump claimed "grass has a life" and that he knows "more about grass than any human being," remarks that quickly went viral and were cited by commentators and some medical experts as possible evidence of cognitive impairment. Psychologist Dr. John Gartner described the president’s tangential speech as a diagnostic criterion for early-stage dementia.

Public reaction on social media amplified criticism, with many labeling the comments as signs of “late‑stage dementia.”