During a NATO summit on Wednesday, Donald Trump made two surprising verbal blunders while speaking alongside Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, sparking renewed concerns over his health.
One notable misstep involved Trump’s incorrect reference to Iran as he discussed America’s anti-missile defense capabilities.
“We had 111 missiles shot by the Islamic Republic of Japan,” he remarked. Without pausing to acknowledge the mistake, Trump continued his speech, focusing on how all of these missiles had been intercepted.
This slip did not go unnoticed, as a pro-Ukraine X account criticized the 80-year-old Trump, suggesting he might be experiencing cognitive decline. Michael MacKay, who holds a PhD from the London School of Economics, took to social media, asserting, “Trump’s dementia is profound.”
Adding to these concerns, Illinois Governor JB Pritzker recently expressed to CNN his belief that Trump might be suffering from a mental disease.
Later, Trump appeared to cross up the presidents of Russia and Ukraine.
While gesturing at Zelensky, Trump directed a question to a reporter at the meeting: ‘Do you have a question for President Putin?’
After a brief moment, Trump seemed to recognize his mistake, but then he appeared to made light of the gaffe.
US President Donald Trump committed the gaffes while taking questions alongside Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky (L)
When a reporter appeared to try to ask Zelensky a question, Trump spoke over him with a slight smile.
‘Do you have a question for President Putin?’ Trump asked again. ‘Yeah, what would you like to ask [Putin]? Because I’m gonna ask him that question.’
Trump said he was making a call with Putin later in the day and continued to insist on a question for the Russian strongman until he got one a few seconds later.
The White House touted Trump’s stamina and fitness when contacted by the Daily Mail.
‘President Trump delivered a marathon, high-energy performance at the NATO summit, holding four separate press availabilities plus a solo press conference and taking unscripted questions from reporters on a wide range of topics,’ White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said in a statement.
‘The President commanded every room, gave our allies some much-needed tough love, and left the summit with a stronger NATO and more united free world.’
Trump has faced a slew of medical concerns during his second term after frequently calling into question the health of his predecessor ‘Sleepy’ Joe Biden.
There has been visible swelling in his legs, bruising on his hands, and several instances of appearing to briefly doze off in public.
The White House has attributed the bruising to frequent handshakes and regular aspirin usage (pictured in Davos, Switzerland, on January 22)
President Trump closes his eyes in the Oval Office on April 18
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Trump has at times used makeup and bandages to conceal the bruising on his hand (pictured at the White House on May 6)
The White House has said the swelling in Trump’s legs is due to a condition called chronic venous insufficiency, a relatively common circulatory problem in older patients.
The bruising on the President’s hands, which he has at times tried to conceal, has been attributed to regular aspirin usage and frequent handshakes, though bruising has appeared on both of the President’s hands.
Those in the President’s orbit have denied that he struggles to stay awake.
‘I’ve never seen him fall asleep,’ Secretary of State Marco Rubio said in a congressional hearing in June, adding that the President often calls him in the wee hours of the morning.
Trump is the oldest person ever elected to the presidency, beating his predecessor Joe Biden by some five months.