President Donald Trump has triggered a fresh wave of debate about his waning cognitive function after struggling through an anecdote about a Green Beret’s near-death experience.
Trump, 80, was called out after struggling to read from the teleprompter during a televised Veterans Day speech at Arlington National Cemetery on Wednesday.
The octogenarian president went off-script while telling a story about Green Beret Ryan Hendrickson, misconstruing the Purple Heart recipient’s most harrowing wartime experience.
Trump, who has called fallen U.S. service members “suckers and losers,” gave a speech for Veterans Day on Wednesday.
Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images
“In 2010, Green Beret Ryan Hendrickson was leading his team through a Taliban-held village in Afghanistan at three in the morning when he was… stepped on by… enemy,” Trump said, pausing frequently. “I mean, he was—the enemy was all over him.”
The president continued, “He made the mistake—a mistake that people understood when they were in the battles, jungles. He stepped on enemy explosives. A lot of them.”
Hendrickson, whose military career spanned over two decades across three different branches, stepped on an improvised explosive device during a mission to save an Afghan soldier—nearly severing his right leg.
After 28 surgeries, the serviceman fully recovered and redeployed with his Special Forces Team to the region several more times over the next decade. Hendrickson started a charity organization for demining operations worldwide and wrote a book about his combat experiences.
The veteran wrote a book detailing his wartime experiences titled “Tip of the Spear.”
Trump’s telling of Hendrickson’s tale raised eyebrows online, with many pointing out that Afghanistan’s arid terrain is famously devoid of jungles.
“Ah yes, the famous Afghanistan Jungle,” wrote former U.S. Marine sergeant Harrison Lansing in response to a clip of Trump’s word salad shared by journalist Aaron Rupar.
Trump’s reference to “jungles” confused many people online.
“The jungles of… Afghanistan?” wrote liberal commentator Joanne Carducci, who goes by “JoJofromJerz.”
One X user emphasized how the president appeared to blame Hendrickson for his gruesome injury, writing, “That kinda makes it sound like his fault.”
Others called attention to Trump’s haphazard cadence, noting what appeared to be clear signs of cognitive impairment.
“Watching his brain freeze, reboot, freeze, reboot, start in BIOS, and reboot again in live time,” wrote the podcaster Greg Bush.
The president’s speech elicited concerns over his cognitive function.
Trump critic Jennifer Kimball said, “He’s reading from a prompter, and it’s still a word salad.”
The White House did not respond to an email seeking comment.
A “nasty bruise is visible on Trump’s hand as he salutes,” Rupar noted.
During his public appearance for Veterans Day on Wednesday, Trump flaunted a gnarly bruise on his right hand, which was slathered in makeup to hide its swollen appearance.
This tactic is not uncommon for the president, whose frequently bruised hands have become somewhat of a staple of his second administration, as the Daily Beast has extensively reported.
The White House has attributed the president’s bruising to his “frequent handshaking” and his daily aspirin intake of 325 milligrams, which is four times what doctors typically recommend.
Aside from his bruised hands, some of Trump’s other worrying health issues include his severely swollen ankles, his slurred speech, and his habit of falling asleep during public appearances.
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