Donald Trump’s recent public appearances have once again sparked debate and scrutiny regarding his cognitive fitness, following a series of verbal stumbles and factual inaccuracies. The former US President, at 79 years old, has found himself under a microscope after several notable incidents that have drawn significant attention from both political opponents and the general public.
A Stumble Over “Coal Champion”
During a White House event on Wednesday, February 11th, intended to celebrate the coal industry, Trump’s speech took an unexpected turn. While attempting to declare himself the “Undisputed Champion of Coal,” he appeared to falter.
The moment began with a seemingly routine declaration: “I’m proud to officially name the undispuut…” Trump then paused, trailing off into a series of indistinct murmurs for several seconds. This unusual interlude was followed by a seemingly disoriented question, “When did this come out? Mr. Speaker,” before he eventually self-corrected and completed the phrase with “The undisputed champion of beautiful, clean coal.”
This awkward segment did not go unnoticed. It quickly ignited social media, with critics and political adversaries seizing upon the verbal slip. The official account associated with former opponent Kamala Harris’ team shared a clip of the incident, questioning the president’s mental acuity. The post read, “Trump, slurring: I’m proud to officially name the…undishpu…the…jshhhh…whendidthiscomeout.”
Furthermore, the press office of California Governor Gavin Newsom also reposted the footage on X (formerly Twitter), adding a pointed caption: “The sundowning starts earlier every day.” This phrase, “sundowning,” is often associated with confusion and agitation experienced by individuals in the later stages of cognitive decline.
Windmills and Misinformation
The same speech also saw Trump deviate from his prepared remarks to express his disdain for wind turbines. Mimicking the spinning blades with a circular motion of his finger, he stated, “I’m not a big fan of those crazy windmills.” He then asserted that these turbines are manufactured in China but not utilised by China, challenging the audience to “look for a couple of wind farms in China. See if you can find one.”
However, this claim contradicts established data. According to Global Energy Monitor, China is currently the world’s leading producer of wind and solar energy, with a renewable energy construction pipeline nearly double that of the rest of the world combined. Trump continued his critique, labelling windmills as “losers” and suggesting that energy ventures should be profitable, not a source of financial loss.
Confusion Over Swiss Leadership
Beyond the coal speech, another recent incident has raised eyebrows concerning Trump’s grasp of international affairs. He appeared to misunderstand Switzerland’s governmental structure, erroneously stating that the country has a prime minister. This misunderstanding led to a peculiar anecdote about imposing tariffs on Switzerland.
Trump claimed he had increased tariffs on the country because he disliked the way its leader, Karin Keller-Sutter, had spoken to him. Keller-Sutter, who served as the Swiss President in the previous year (a rotating role, not a prime minister), had indeed spoken with Trump. However, the current leader for 2026 is Guy Parmelin, and the presidential role is distinct from a prime ministership.
Recounting a phone call with Keller-Sutter from several months prior to a Fox News interview on February 10th, Trump described her as “very aggressive. Nice, but very aggressive.” He elaborated on the call, stating, “Again and again and again. I couldn’t get her off the phone.” He then explained his decision to raise tariffs from 30 percent to 39 percent, stating, “I didn’t really like the way she talked to us, and so instead of giving her a reduction, I raised it to 39 percent, and then I got inundated by people from Switzerland and I figured, ‘Do you know what? We’ll do something that’s a little bit more palatable.'”
Ongoing Concerns About Cognitive Fitness
Concerns regarding Trump’s mental fitness have been a recurring theme for months. It is known that he has undergone several cognitive tests and MRI scans in recent times. He has consistently maintained that he has “aced” these assessments, with his physician, Sean Barbabella, confirming in April 2025 that Trump had taken a cognitive exam during his annual physical and reportedly achieved a perfect score. Despite these assurances, the recent public stumbles continue to fuel public and political discussion about his cognitive state.
