The notion that Donald Trump is losing his mind is immediately suspect because it requires the presumption that he had a stable one to begin with. There is substantial evidence that Trump’s mental deficiencies have plagued him for decades, particularly the likelihood that he is suffering from Narcissistic Personality Disorder (NPD).

Bobby Azarian, a cognitive neuroscientist at George Mason University, makes the case for Trump’s NPD in an article that delves into Trump’s psychosis. He warns of the potential risks of giving someone exhibiting such symptoms control over our nuclear codes:

“While a narcissistic personality might be one of the traits that allowed Trump to be such a successful businessman and reality TV star, it is also the trait that makes him potentially dangerous as a political leader.”

However, Trump’s cognitive failures extend beyond his obvious egomaniacal tendencies. He also appears to be exhibiting symptoms of dementia and severe memory impairment. Never mind that he repeatedly asserts that he has “one of the best memories of all time,” his recent lapses tell a different story. For instance…

On January 14, 2016, at the GOP debate, Trump spoke about the controversy over whether Ted Cruz is eligible to run for president under the constitutional requirement of being a “natural born citizen” (a controversy that Trump himself incited).

“You have great constitutional lawyers that say you can’t run. If there was a – and you know I’m not bringing a suit. I promise. But the Democrats are going to bring a lawsuit, and you have to have certainty.”

Then, just three days later, Trump apparently forgot his promise and, when George Stephanopoulos suggested that he might have the necessary legal standing to bring a lawsuit, Trump said…

“Wow, that sounds like a very good case. I’d do the public a big favor. It’s a good idea. Maybe I’ll talk to them about it.”

That’s a three day turnaround from swearing on national TV that he wouldn’t file a lawsuit, to being highly interested in the idea. Another example that also involves Trump’s current closest rival for the GOP nomination, Trump responded in December to talk about a growing rift between him and Cruz:

“I really like Ted Cruz a lot. He’s doing well. I’m doing well. It’s not a contest between the two of us.”

Then, the following month, he once again was asked about their souring relationship, and he gave a very different response:

“He’s a nasty guy. Nobody likes him. Nobody in Congress likes him. Nobody likes him anywhere once they get to know him.”

It didn’t take long to go from liking Cruz a lot to Cruz being “a nasty guy” who nobody likes. This is reminiscent of Trump’s stated feelings regarding Hillary Clinton. A couple of years ago he said that she was a “terrific” woman and a great Secretary of State, who he liked a lot (Bill too). These days he is saying that she was the “worst Secretary of State in history.”

On another occasion, Trump disgustingly mocked a reporter with disabilities. When he was challenged for such an obnoxious portrayal, he insisted that he wasn’t mocking anyone and that he didn’t know the reporter. But the reporter was able to prove that they did meet numerous times as he covered Trump’s business activities.

In addition to these lapses in memory, his broken mind also creates memories of incidents that never occurred. The most blatant example is his insistence that he personally saw news video of “thousands and thousands” of Muslims in New Jersey celebrating the fall of the World Trade Center towers on 9/11. Of course, there were no such celebrations and, therefore, no such videos. He also claims to have seen videos showing that Syrian refugees are almost entirely young men. In fact, the overwhelming majority of refugees are women and children.

How Fox News Deceives and Controls Their Flock:
Fox Nation vs. Reality: The Fox News Cult of Ignorance.
Available now at Amazon.

Donald Trump is a man that is clearly having difficulties discerning reality from fantasy. He cannot even recall things he said just a few days prior. When these incidents occur independently they may seem harmless and unimportant. But when viewed as a collection of recent cognitive failures, it is apparent that a real problem exists. Not only should he not be running for president, he should be getting medical attention under close observation.