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Calls to consider the 25th Amendment are growing as President Donald Trump, 79, displays behavior critics describe as increasingly erratic just one year into his second four-year term.
The concerns extend beyond his age. Recent episodes have included possible signs of a stroke, confusion while discussing MRIs and cognitive tests, repeated verbal mix-ups, dozing during official events and bursts of anger aboard Air Force One.
Trump has also overseen the unexpected demolition of the White House’s historic East Wing, circulated offensive social-media memes, appeared to threaten political opponents with death and urged military leaders to use American cities as “training grounds” for U.S. troops.
Supporters often celebrate his blunt language as authentic. But his apparent loss of restraint has intensified questions about his cognitive health and executive function.
On Thanksgiving, rather than offering a conventional holiday message, Trump posted far-right rhetoric calling for unwanted populations to be removed from the country.
“Only REVERSE MIGRATION can fully cure this situation,” he wrote. “Other than that, HAPPY THANKSGIVING TO ALL, except those that hate, steal, murder, and destroy everything that America stands for — You won’t be here for long!”
Days earlier, Trump had invoked the death penalty while attacking members of Congress who released a video reminding military personnel not to obey illegal orders. Writer Tom Nichols argued in a Nov. 21 article that Trump’s recent outbursts were different in scale and may have been prompted by anxiety over the release of files involving his former friend Jeffrey Epstein, the deceased sex offender.
Trump’s public language has repeatedly broken with presidential norms. During a June 24, 2025, press appearance about difficulties enforcing the Israel-Iran ceasefire, he said of leaders in the two countries, “They don’t know what the fuck they’re doing!”
At a White House Faith Office luncheon on July 24, 2025, he departed from his prepared remarks and inaccurately claimed that he had been criminally indicted five times during the Biden administration. The actual number was four.
“I think I got indicted five times, impeached two times. All bullshit, right?” Trump told the religious leaders gathered in the State Dining Room.
His tendency to veer into inappropriate subjects was also evident during an October campaign stop in Pennsylvania, weeks before the presidential election. Trump spent roughly 12 minutes discussing golfer Arnold Palmer’s body and recounting alleged reactions from other professional golfers who showered with him.
“When he took the showers with other pros, they came out of there. They said, ‘Oh my God. That’s unbelievable,’” Trump said. “We have women that are highly sophisticated here, but they used to look at Arnold as a man.”
Questions about Trump’s conduct are accompanied by concerns about his physical health. White House press secretary Caroline Leavitt has acknowledged that he was diagnosed with chronic venous insufficiency, a circulatory condition that can cause blood to pool around the ankles and increase the risk of falling.
Trump is older than the reported 78.4-year life expectancy for American men, yet he has shown no public sign of abandoning a diet associated with burgers, fried chicken and Diet Coke. Medical professionals have raised concerns that his eating habits and limited exercise could affect his stamina, circulation and heart health.
His governing style has appeared similarly unsettled. The administration’s daily priorities frequently shift, leaving even senior advisers seemingly uncertain about what will command the president’s attention next.
In diplomacy and trade, Trump’s reversals and provocations—including suggestions that the United States annex Canada and territory belonging to Denmark—have alarmed allies and created openings for adversaries. His policies have also disrupted the American economy, while his administration has appeared interested in withholding quarterly gross domestic product figures and monthly employment reports that could cast his performance in an unfavorable light.
At the same time, Trump has surrounded himself with conspicuous displays of gold. The Oval Office has acquired extensive gold ornamentation, and he accepted a Boeing 747-8 luxury aircraft from Qatar valued at hundreds of millions of dollars.
The aircraft, described as a “Flying Palace,” reportedly contains nine bathrooms, five kitchens and an opulent interior filled with gold accents. Trump is also directing plans for a 90,000-square-foot, gold-trimmed White House ballroom on the former site of the East Wing.
Together, the episodes raise a question that can no longer be dismissed as partisan provocation: By the time that ballroom is finished—if it is ever completed—will Trump still understand the full consequences of the decisions made under his direction?