Donald Trump aides think he may have learning disabilities, dementia or can't read, author of expose says - Independent

8/1/2018

Donald Trump aides think he may have learning disabilities, dementia or can't read, author of expose says

US President dismisses critics and says he is 'like, really smart' and a 'very stable genius'

Samuel Osborne @SamuelOsborne

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White House officials are concerned Donald Trump has learning disabilities, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), or even the early stages of dementia, the author of an explosive new book on the US President has claimed.

In an interview with the Mail on Sunday, Michael Wolff, the author of Fire and Fury: Inside the Trump White House, described Mr Trump as a "rich wastrel" who was "bad at school".

He told the paper: "They discuss it at the White House: his apparent inability to read one page or one paragraph. He can't even follow a PowerPoint.

"They wonder where that is from. ADHD? A learning disability? They thought maybe the guy couldn't read or is semi-literate."

His comments come after the President attacked his critics on Twitter, dismissing allegations he is unfit to lead the US and proclaiming himself to be "like, really smart" and a "very stable genius".

Mr Trump accused his critics of trying to make an issue of his "mental stability and intelligence."

@realDonaldTrump

Now that Russian collusion, after one year of intense study, has proven to be a total hoax on the American public, the Democrats and their lapdogs, the Fake News Mainstream Media, are taking out the old Ronald Reagan playbook and screaming mental stability and intelligence.....

11:19 PM - Jan 6, 2018

@realDonaldTrump

....Actually, throughout my life, my two greatest assets have been mental stability and being, like, really smart. Crooked Hillary Clinton also played these cards very hard and, as everyone knows, went down in flames. I went from VERY successful businessman, to top T.V. Star.....

11:27 PM - Jan 6, 2018

@realDonaldTrump

....to President of the United States (on my first try). I think that would qualify as not smart, but genius....and a very stable genius at that!

11:30 PM - Jan 6, 2018

"Now that Russian collusion, after one year of intense study, has proven to be a total hoax on the American public, the Democrats and their lapdogs, the Fake News Mainstream Media, are taking out the old Ronald Reagan playbook and screaming mental stability and intelligence," he wrote on Twitter.

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"Actually, throughout my life, my two greatest assets have been mental stability and being, like, really smart. Crooked Hillary Clinton also played these cards very hard and, as everyone knows, went down in flames.

"I went from VERY successful businessman, to top TV Star to President of the United States (on my first try). I think that would qualify as not smart, but genius....and a very stable genius at that!"

When he addressed reports later, Mr Trump, who holds a bachelor's degree from the University of Pennsylvania, said: "I went to the best colleges for college."

"I had a situation where I was a very excellent student, came out, made billions and billions of dollars, became one of the top business people, went to television and for 10 years was a tremendous success, as you probably have heard, ran for president one time and won."

Donald Trump says Michael Wolff is a fraud denying the contents of book Fire and Fury

In his interview with the Mail on Sunday, Mr Wolff said White House insiders speculated whether Mr Trump had "the early stages of dementia."

"Whether it's lack of sleep, the compounded effects of age… or there's actually some impairment – and that's a possibility – everybody around him discusses that."

The author and journalist added: "Everyone around him says the symptoms have got worse in the year he has been in office – his attention span has lessened, his verbal patterns are more peculiar."