California Governor Gavin Newsom’s press office took a direct shot at Donald Trump’s mental acuity on Thursday, following an aggressive social media frenzy by the President.
The exchange began late Wednesday night when President Trump, 79, launched into a rapid-fire posting spree on Truth Social, sharing 48 posts in just 36 minutes. It continued when Trump resumed posting at 6 a.m. ET Thursday morning, at roughly a post-per-minute pace.
A few hours later, Newsom’s Press Office X account called out the posts relating to the governor by sharing a screenshot of a search result for “sundowning”—a medical term describing a state of confusion, agitation, and anxiety that often affects individuals with dementia as daylight fades.
“So… about last night,” the Governor’s office quipped, directly linking the President’s late-night behavior to symptoms of Alzheimer’s and other cognitive disorders.
Sundowning is a pattern of increased confusion, agitation, or restlessness that typically occurs in the late afternoon or evening, most often in people with dementia or Alzheimer’s disease. Symptoms can include irritability, mood swings, wandering, and difficulty sleeping.
Previously, on Wednesday, the X account debunked each claim Trump made about Newsom during his posting spree. The posts ranged from aggressive attacks on political rivals to easily debunked claims about domestic policy.
In one post, Trump claimed that Walmart was closing 250 of its California locations—a statement Newsom’s office immediately flagged as a total fabrication. Another post included a video accusing Newsom of working with a Mexican cartel to launder drug money.
“Walmart’s 303 stores in California are open,” the rebuttal Newsom post says in part. “The AI robot is lying. Governor Newsom is not Pablo Escobar. We cannot believe we have to say any of this out loud. We cannot believe this is real life. And we truly cannot believe this man has the nuclear codes,“ his press office said.
It added: “Deep breaths, everyone. Three more years.”
The Daily Beast has contacted the White House for comment.
Trump’s health and mental sharpness have often been under scrutiny, fueled by gaffes such as mistakenly calling Greenland “Iceland” in Davos last week and needing White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt this week to prompt him on the name of his father’s medical condition.
“He had one problem. At a certain age, about 86, 87, he started getting—what do they call it?” Trump said, with Leavitt interjecting, “Alzheimer’s.”
Trump has consistently brushed off questions about his mental sharpness, claiming he has “aced” multiple cognitive tests.
Yet, as New York Magazine pointed out, the president has never clarified why he repeatedly takes such exams, which often involve simple tasks like drawing a clock or naming animals. His niece Mary Trump, a vocal critic, suggested he may be showing early signs of Alzheimer’s similar to those her grandfather experienced.
“One of the first times I noticed it was at an event where he was being honored,” she told the magazine. “He had this deer-in-the-headlights look, like he had no idea where he was.” She added, “Sometimes it doesn’t seem like he’s oriented to time and place. And on occasion, I do see that same look.”
White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller previously denied that the administration is hiding any health issues, offering instead a glowing assessment: “He can work harder, has a better memory, more stamina and energy than a normal mortal. The headline should be ‘The Superhuman President.’”
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