It’s about “Doc Ronny”
Trump boasts about his mental abilities – and embarrasses himself
16.06.2024, 08:45
Tests regularly confirm that the 78-year-old former President Trump is in excellent health. Trump praises himself at a campaign event, saying that he is particularly mentally fit. But then he makes a mental faux pas.
Former US President Donald Trump boasted about the results of a test of his mental abilities during a speech – and then promptly confused the name of the doctor who conducted the examination. The 78-year-old likely Republican presidential candidate praised his mental acuity in the city of Detroit and called on his rival, incumbent US President Joe Biden, to undergo the same test that Trump himself had taken under then-White House doctor Ronny Jackson.
However, the former head of state made a mistake when it came to the name of the doctor, who is now a loyal Trump supporter as a member of the US Congress: “Doc Ronny Johnson,” Trump said in his speech to right-wing supporters. “Does everyone know Ronny Johnson, Congressman from Texas?” he continued. “He said he thought I was the healthiest president in history, so I liked him a lot.”
At the same time, Trump made fun of the fact that his rival Biden’s mental abilities were declining. The Democrat got lost at the G7 meeting in Italy and turned around “to look at trees” while the other heads of state watched a skydiver land, Trump told the laughing audience.
Biden’s age is the main target
Trump was referring to a video of Biden that is circulating in right-wing media and Republican circles. However, the footage is edited and misleading: parts have been cut out that show Biden turning away from the other G7 heads of state and government to watch another skydiver landing next to him.
Biden’s age has become one of the main points of attack in Trump’s campaign ahead of the presidential election in November. Almost every day, Trump’s team sends out videos in which Biden stumbles or stutters, appears exhausted or disoriented. But Trump is finding it increasingly difficult to hide his own physical and mental lapses.
Unlike Trump, Biden, as head of state, must undergo regular medical tests, which are published by the White House doctor. Little is known about Trump’s health, however. In mid-November, the likely Republican presidential candidate published a short letter from his doctor. Trump is in “excellent” health.