Psychologist Warns Observers Not To Ignore Donald Trump's 'Glitch' and Worsening 'Dementia' Symptoms

Donald Trump dementia claims have resurfaced after psychologist John Paul Garrison questioned the president's speech and movements at campaign rallies in Corpus Christi and Lubbock, Texas, on Tuesday, 27 October 2026.

Garrison suggested the footage might indicate neurological problems, including dementia. He has not examined Trump, and the recording does not establish a medical diagnosis.

The remarks came as Trump campaigned for Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, the Republican Senate candidate facing Democrat James Talarico in the 3 November midterm election.

Garrison focused on pauses and hand movements while Trump criticised Talarico and praised Paxton. The latest speculation also contrasts with findings published by the White House following Trump's May medical examination.

Psychologist Questions Donald Trump's Movements at Texas Rallies

Garrison, a clinical and forensic psychologist who publishes video-based behavioural commentary, said he noticed unusual movement in Trump's left hand. He claimed the motion appeared to pass through the president's arm and upper body, and that his voice briefly changed.

'You could hear the interruption in his voice,' Garrison said, urging viewers to examine the hand movement. He also described one moment as 'what appears to be seizure-like activity'. Neither observation establishes that Trump experienced a seizure or that the movement was involuntary.

Garrison said he had identified comparable incidents during previous appearances. 'We have seen this pattern repeatedly over the past few months,' he claimed. However, no independent analysis documenting the frequency or progression of those alleged episodes accompanied the account.

Another moment concerned Trump's attempt to say Paxton's name. Garrison interpreted a brief pause as a potential speech difficulty, saying, 'For a very brief moment there, it appeared that he couldn't speak.' The footage cannot determine why the president paused.

Donald Trump's Vegan Remark Had Context Missing From Health Claims

Garrison also questioned Trump's pronunciation of 'vegan' during remarks about Talarico. Yet the transcript of the Lubbock rally shows Trump deliberately discussing the pronunciation, saying that First Lady Melania Trump had corrected how he used to say the word.

The passage formed part of Trump's attack on Talarico's supposed eating habits. The Democrat has repeatedly denied being vegan. PolitiFact previously found that the claim was false, citing his public statements and evidence that he eats animal products.

Trump also spoke about the Second Amendment, with some repetitions and interrupted phrases recorded in the speeches. Garrison regarded such moments as signs of word-finding difficulties. The transcripts establish what Trump said, but they cannot show whether a pause or verbal stumble had a medical explanation.

These were campaign speeches delivered before live audiences, not clinical assessments. Isolated excerpts can also omit surrounding remarks, humour or interruptions. Such context is particularly relevant when speech patterns are being used to support serious claims about someone's health.

White House Medical Report Contrasts With Donald Trump Dementia Claims

Garrison raised possibilities including vascular dementia, stroke-related injury and other neurological disorders. Those suggestions remain speculative. No medical evidence accompanying his analysis establishes that Trump has any of the conditions he mentioned.

A White House physician's memorandum dated 29 May 2026 reported a different clinical picture. Following Trump's examination on 26 May, presidential physician Capt. Sean P. Barbabella described normal mental status, motor strength, sensation, reflexes, gait and balance.

The memorandum also recorded a score of 30 out of 30 on the Montreal Cognitive Assessment. Barbabella said the president remained in excellent health and fit to carry out his duties. Those results describe the May examination and do not independently explain movements recorded five months later.

According to NHS guidance, dementia cannot be diagnosed through a single test. Clinicians consider medical history, cognitive assessments and, where appropriate, further investigations. A normal screening score does not exclude every possible future condition, just as a video clip cannot establish neurological deterioration.

Garrison maintains that the behaviour he has identified is becoming more frequent. That proposed progression has not been independently demonstrated, and the source account does not establish that the White House was asked to respond to these particular allegations.

The rallies and the published medical findings are part of the public record. Whether any of the moments identified by Garrison have a medical explanation remains unestablished.