I'm probably alone in this, but it seems to me that the felon is...

[pat_k]

...the same old psychopathic, malignant narcissist, rambling, ignorant, stupid*, broken record he's been for a decade.

I really do wish I wish saw the sort of massive cognitive decline so many others see and point to, but looking at old rants, he seems about the same to me. Yeah, he's a noticeably aging, evil man in poor health. That's a given. But a real qualitative difference? A massive cognitive decline? IDK.


I sometimes wonder if people project a more "together" past because it's beyond belief that he was always such a psychotic, malignant narcissist, ignorant, outrageous, rambling, incoherent, broken record.


Roy Cohn taught trump well (link)

. . .
. . Cohn imparted an M.O. that’s been on searing display throughout Trump’s ascent, his divisive, captivating campaign, and his fraught, unprecedented presidency. Deflect and distract, never give in, never admit fault, lie and attack, lie and attack, publicity no matter what, win no matter what, all underpinned by a deep, prove-me-wrong belief in the power of chaos and fear.
. . .

* Animal cunning perhaps, but zero curiosity or knowledge about history, world events, the constitution, science, or anything else about the world or human experience that wasn't drummed into him by his father or the likes of Roy Cohn

[Joinfortmill]

1. He seems to be a bit worse mentally and quite a bit worse physically.

[pat_k]

3. Certainly. He is not a well 79.

We'll never know what actual chronic illnesses the felon is dealing with, but his problems with balance, swollen feet, and on and on remind me of my 80 yo step-father, who has organ damage and neuropathy related to amyloidosis (and it's treatment -- e.g., the neuropathy). Ongoing damage is halted (for now) with chemotherapy. And may even slowly reverse. He's generally plugging along just fine with the chronic issues.

[Sneederbunk]

12. And gets extremely cray cray after sundown.

[chicoescuela]

2. I agree. He might be slightly less cognizant but I don't see a huge decline.

He looks and acts like shit but I think he could live another 10 years.
Scary to contemplate

[pat_k]

6. Scary indeed

[leftstreet]

4. Yes. He just seems less confident

Even malignant narcissists can't hide from sinking poll numbers, and they falter in their presentation.

His "grooming" of victims (voters) phase during his first campaign is over. LOL he doesn't even post on X/Twitter this time around, where he once dominated

[pat_k]

11. And with that, more desperate and unrestrained.

As his domestic path of destruction creates blow back, I fear for the world as he turns his eye outward for a new horror to perpetrate to "deflect and distract" driven by his "deep, prove-me-wrong belief in the power of chaos and fear."

[Brother Buzz]

5. The Six Dark Lessons Roy Cohn Taught Trump

Roy Cohn taught Donald Trump the six rules of managing and dominating situations and people. These are those rules and you can see them being utilized to this very day by the man to brutal ends (this is excerpted from the book, The Last American President):

1. Never apologize or admit wrongdoing, ever. Cohn viewed contrition as weakness and would rather die (literally, as it turned out) than acknowledge error or fault. As journalist Ken Auletta, who covered Cohn extensively, noted, “The idea that you can admit a mistake is not part of Roy’s genetic code.” This principle would become so fundamental to Trump’s approach that even faced with irrefutable evidence—a recorded confession of sexual assault on the Access Hollywood tape, for instance—he would deny, deflect, and attack rather than offer the slightest acknowledgment of impropriety.

2. Always counter-attack, and always with greater force than you received. When criticized or accused, Cohn’s response was invariably to hit back harder, to escalate, to make the accuser regret ever mentioning his name. As Cohn himself explained to a reporter: "I bring out the worst in my enemies, and that’s how I get them to defeat themselves.” This tactic became Trump’s signature move, whether attacking Gold Star parents who criticized him, mocking a disabled reporter who questioned his claims, or threatening critics with lawsuits and retribution.

3. Use the legal system as a weapon, not a recourse for justice. Cohn taught Trump that lawsuits were instruments of intimidation, not vehicles for dispute resolution. He filed cases not to win—though winning was nice—but to punish, to harass, and to silence. The expense and stress of litigation was the point, not the legal outcome. Trump would eventually be involved in over 3,500 lawsuits—an unprecedented number for any American businessperson or politician—using the courts not to seek justice but to exhaust opponents with fewer resources.

4. Manipulate the media ruthlessly. Cohn was a master at planting stories, cultivating journalists, and creating controversy to serve his ends. He understood that perception trumped reality, that bold claims often went unchallenged, and that most people would remember the accusation but not the retraction. Trump elevated this approach to an art form, calling reporters using pseudonyms like “John Barron” to plant favorable stories about himself, staging pseudo-events to attract coverage, and later, using Twitter to bypass media filters entirely and inject his unfiltered messages directly into the public consciousness.

5. Use fear as both shield and sword. Cohn understood that people who are afraid—of communists, of crime, of social change, of the “other”—are easier to manipulate and more willing to accept authoritarian solutions. He helped McCarthy weaponize the Red Scare, stoking paranoia about secret communists undermining America from within. Trump would adapt this tactic to the 21st century, stoking fears about immigrants, Muslims, “inner city” crime, and later, a “deep state” conspiracy, always positioning himself as the only solution to these terrifying threats.

6. Build a fortress of loyalty around yourself. Cohn demanded absolute devotion from his clients and associates, and he repaid it in kind, at least until they were no longer useful. He created a network of mutual obligation and fear that served as both sword and shield in his battles. Trump’s infamous demand for loyalty—from James Comey, from his cabinet members, from Republican legislators—and his swift punishment of perceived disloyalty, all echo Cohn’s approach to power.

https://ideas.bkconnection.com/the-five-lessons-roy-cohn-taught-donald-trump-that-guide-him-to-this-day

[pat_k]

9. That the vicious and vile tactics "work," even when exposed for what that are...

... is perhaps the most mind boggling thing about our national crisis

[Brother Buzz]

13. It's easy when critical thinking is tossed out the window

"Oh, that is all well and good, but, voice or no voice, the people can always be brought to the bidding of the leaders. That is easy. All you have to do is tell them they are being attacked and denounce the pacifists for lack of patriotism and exposing the country to danger. It works the same way in any country." - Hermann Göring

[Soul_of_Wit]

7. Not all cognitive decline is the same

Dementia is not always Alzheimer's. It is always progressive (Donald is getting worse.) I think some assume that all dementia patients are not long for the world. You can live 20 years with dementia. You can also have cognitive decline with aging and never be diagnosed with dementia.

[bif]

8. There are a couple of folks who post daily on YouTube

About how he's getting noticeably worse and any day now he's going to drop dead. Wishful thinking. They've been posting this every day for over a year. I honestly don't think he's going to die until his term is over.

[Aristus]

10. I don't either.

That motherfucker is going to live forever.

The sooner he proves me wrong, the better...