- Democrats including Kamala Harris, President Biden and Barack Obama are hitting 78-year-old Trump's mental fitness.
- Many Republicans, including some who oppose Trump, say they haven't seen a mental decline since he first ran for president in 2016.
Donald Trump's repeated gaffes, non sequiturs, and plain odd behavior have opened the door to questions from opponents about the 78-year-old candidate's mental and physical fitness.
From bopping to the beat of his music playlist for nearly 40 minutes at a recent swing state town hall to blaming Ukraine for Russia's invasion, to riffing on locker room gossip about a pro golfer's anatomy, Trump is providing plenty of fodder for rivals who've declared him "unhinged" and worse.
As Republicans did to 81-year-old President Joe Biden earlier this year, Democrats including horror novelist Stephen King and former presidents Bill Clinton and Barack Obama are seizing every opportunity to bash Trump − and it's a target-rich environment.
Trump's "health appears to be in question as he demonstrates increasing moments of confusion and disorientation during interviews and rallies," said former Trump attorney and current adversary Michael Cohen.
More:Donald Trump targets steelworkers, riffs on golfer's anatomy in Pennsylvania rally
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"It’s why he is currently obsessing over his medical records and declaring that he is the healthiest person running for the presidency in U.S. history," Cohen said.
Other critics say Trump has always been erratic but more people are noticing since Biden left the presidential race in July.
Trump’s allies reply that the former reality TV star simply has a unique style and that any attention paid to his unconventional behavior on the stump is political.
Trump has never been a polished public speaker. From the beginning, his rallies have been long, rambling affairs with regular digressions to jab at rivals or deliver well-worn anecdotes. They have grown longer, and more unfocused.
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That style is authentic and part of his appeal, supporters say. Trump fans regularly applaud that he doesn’t speak like a typical politician.
Yet Trump repeatedly his raised eyebrows with his comments and behavior in the closing stretch of his third presidential campaign. His age and refusal to release detailed health records are adding to the questio
Trump has released only general statements attesting to his health by U.S. Rep. Ronny Jackson, R-Texas, a former White House doctor.
"The fact that the campaign won’t release any medical report tells me that there is data that is unhelpful... unflattering," said Jonathan Reiner, a professor of medicine and surgery at George Washington University, who served as a cardiologist for former Vice President Dick Cheney.
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