Concerns Over Trump’s Health: Could It Derail His Term? Advisor Sounds Alarm
The president insists he’s in top shape, and his White House doc backs him up on that. But quietly, a big-name Republican insider is waving warning flags, suggesting Donald Trump might be slipping mentally in ways that could keep him from seeing out another full term.
Flash back to all the chatter in April when Trump went through that high-profile physical. Dr. Sean Barbabella gave him a clean bill of health, saying he showed “strong heart, lung, brain, and overall physical performance.” He credited Trump’s busy routine for keeping him going strong.
The checkup pulled in 14 experts and covered everything from reflexes and coordination to how his senses were holding up, plus a mental health once-over that checked for things like depression or anxiety.
(Photo: Win McNamee/Getty Images)
At 78, Trump’s the oldest guy ever to take the oath for this job—and he’s never been a smoker or drinker, which helps. The report pegged him at 6’3” and a slimmer 220 pounds, down about 25 from his last stint in office. Even his cholesterol’s looking better, per the Associated Press.
Beyond a bit of sun spots and that scar on his right ear from the July 2024 rally shooting in Butler, PA, the pros say he’s good to go.
Time to Keep an Eye Out, Says Insider
Still, if you talk to Rick Wilson, one of the folks behind the Lincoln Project, there’s real cause for worry. In a one-on-one with Times Radio, he laid out his fears about Trump’s health, zeroing in on behaviors that scream cognitive issues to him.
He’s basically telling folks to watch closely.
“He’s all over the place,” Wilson said on the show. “He can’t string together a clear thought or stance without wandering off, losing his train, or those word mix-ups popping up.”
Wilson’s been keeping tabs on Trump since 2015, and he swears this isn’t the same guy.
“The Trump you’re seeing now? Not the sharp operator from 2015, or even 2020,” he added. “Heck, he’s not the one from just last year.”
As for making it through four more years? Wilson didn’t sugarcoat it: “That’s anybody’s guess.”
Even with the latest medical thumbs-up on his physical and mental state, Wilson’s not buying it. He argues that lab results don’t capture the everyday slip-ups.
“A ton of experts are spotting the same red flags and thinking, ‘This looks like early dementia stuff’… or just plain cognitive fade,” he explained.
Lingering Doubts
Wilson hammered home that acing a quick brain test doesn’t rule out the toll of getting older: “Age and health woes catch up eventually,” he noted about the 78-year-old leader.
That April 2025 report might’ve hushed some doubters, but for skeptics like Wilson, it just stirred up more questions.
Longtime reporter Timothy L. O’Brien piled on during a spot on MSNBC’s The Weekend: Primetime, saying Trump’s privately spooked by the idea of going down the same road as his dad, Fred, who battled cognitive decline late in life.
O’Brien, who’s shadowed Trump for years, thinks those offhand comments about a third term aren’t just bluster.
It’s all about “puffing himself up or clinging to power,” O’Brien said, but he doubts Trump would actually chase another run.
A New Openness?
This latest health dump was a departure for Trump. Back in his 2016 and 2020 bids, updates were short and sweet—basically glowing endorsements without much meat. This one? Way more detailed, maybe on purpose.
In the 2024 race, Trump faced heat to cough up a full report. He kept promising but mostly pointed to old notes from his docs, like Dr. Ronny Jackson, who patched him up after the 2023 attempt on his life.
One from Dr. Bruce Aronwald, dropped on Biden’s 81st birthday in November 2023, called Trump’s September check “excellent”—but zero specifics or numbers.
In October 2024, campaign mouthpiece Steven Cheung pushed back on calls for more: “Trump’s put out updates from his own doctor, plus detailed stuff from Dr. Jackson after the shooting. All say he’s in prime shape for the job.”
Cheung threw shade at Kamala Harris too: “He’s been grinding through a non-stop campaign like no one’s business, while she couldn’t hack the pace.”
They even dusted off his 2018 cognitive test from term one, which Trump’s crew loves trotting out whenever sharpness questions pop up.
But between 2018 and 2025? Nada on new brain checks. Dr. Jackson, who worked under Obama and Trump, stays one of his loudest health cheerleaders.
Bottom line isn’t just passing a quiz—it’s if that quiz paints the whole picture. And from Wilson’s view, the real clues are right there in plain sight for anyone watching.
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