Donald Trump ‘lives in fear’ of dementia every day as he worries he’ll suffer father’s fate

Donald Trump is said to wake up every day worried that he might develop dementia, just like his father, Fred Trump, did in the 1990s. According to reports, this fear has haunted him for years, especially since his father’s condition worsened with Alzheimer’s before he passed away in 1999.

Bloomberg Opinion editor Timothy L. O’Brien spoke about Trump’s mental health fears during an appearance on MSNBC’s The Weekend: Primetime. He said that Trump’s public image has always been driven by a desire to either boost his ego or protect himself. O’Brien doubts Trump truly wants to run for president again, even though he sometimes jokes about wanting to live for centuries and stay in office forever. He believes part of Trump knows he’s getting older and his time is limited.

Trump is turning 79 in June, and although he talks about a third term, the U.S. Constitution doesn’t allow more than two. But what might trouble him even more than legal limits is his health. O’Brien said Trump has likely always feared ending up like his father, who experienced a slow mental decline. Fred Trump was still going to work until the day he was hospitalized, even after being diagnosed with dementia. He died at 93 from complications related to Alzheimer’s and pneumonia.

Trump rarely talks about his father’s illness now, especially while often mocking President Joe Biden’s mental state. But insiders think that deep down, he’s scared of going down that same path himself. Observers have pointed out that Trump now sometimes slurs his words, looks more tired, and seems less enthusiastic compared to his earlier years in office. O’Brien suggested Trump might only be clinging to power to avoid prison and stay in the public spotlight.

Trump’s own family sees the changes too. His nephew, Fred C. Trump III, said last year that he has noticed similarities between Donald and Fred Senior. He told PEOPLE Magazine that he has witnessed Trump’s decline and said dementia does run in the Trump family, whether people want to admit it or not.

These fears, along with the natural effects of aging and past family health history, appear to weigh heavily on Donald Trump, even as he continues to portray strength and certainty in public.