Donald Trump's Ironic Memory Fumble Doesn't Ease Cognitive Decline Concerns

Donald Trump's attitude towards those who question his (peak!) physical condition is best described by a slight misquoting of Shakespeare: "The president doth protest too much, methinks." Trump's incessant ramblings about his health have only increased concern about his cognitive fitness; doubters point out that someone who truly is physically and mentally in tip-top shape doesn't have to keep trying to prove it all the time. Sadly, the divisive politician's latest interview won't do anything to quell these worries. New York Magazine's January 26, 2026 article, "'The Superhuman President," is billed as "a good-faith attempt to ascertain the truth about Donald Trump's health." 

It's more likely destined to suffer the same fate as the New York Times' report about Trump's health, which stirred the president's wrath and proved their point. Reporter Ben Terris sat down in the Oval Office with the man himself and two of his doctors, alongside White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt. The physicians reassured Terris that Trump's energy is off the charts, and his recent EKG and imaging tests showed no abnormalities. The president, for his part, grumbled that undergoing the advanced imaging screen was "the worst f***ing thing I ever did" because it aroused so much suspicion. 

And yet, when Trump talked about his family history of medical issues, he hit a speedbump. The president remarked of his late father, Fred Trump, "He had one problem. At a certain age, about 86, 87, he started getting, what do they call it?" Trump then pointed to his head, unable to recall the familiar name of a condition causing mental decline. He eventually looked over at Leavitt for help, who filled in the gap: "Alzheimer's."

President Donald Trump's staffers are almost as enthusiastic about the state of his health as he is. Secretary of State Marco Rubio gushed to New York Magazine about his boss's incredible stamina and his ability to get by on limited sleep. As for all those rumors about Trump's "Dozy Don" behavior, of seemingly nodding off during meetings? It's just "a listening mechanism" Rubio insisted, a sentiment echoed by Karoline Leavitt and White House Staff Secretary Will Scharf. Further, Col. James Jones, a physician's assistant who also treated Former President Barack Obama during his time in office, wildly posited that the fast-food loving POTUS is healthier than Obama, who's notably a generation his junior. 

In fact, even the "superhuman" title of the article was suggested by White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller. Only one person interviewed for the story dared to suggest that the president might not be on top of his mental game: Mary Trump, who has been openly critical of her controversial uncle for years. "Sometimes he does not seem like he's oriented to time and place," she said. "And on occasion, I do see that deer-in-the-headlights look" that Fred Trump had in his final years as he succumbed to Alzheimer's disease. 

It was an unusually cautious statement for Mary, who doesn't hesitate to speak out on her own platforms against the president's lack of fitness for office. But despite his niece's bad-mouthing, the divisive politician should be pleased with the article on the whole. If not, there could be consequences: Trump explicitly warned the reporter, "[I]f you're going to write a bad story about my health, I'm going to sue the a** off of New York Magazine."