MAGA-aligned podcaster and former Navy SEAL Shawn Ryan has publicly questioned Donald Trump's mental fitness for office, suggesting in a viral post on X that the president may be struggling with his faculties while signing off on a multibillion-dollar peace initiative as US troops mobilise in the Middle East. Ryan interviewed Trump on his podcast 'The Shawn Ryan Show' in 2024, has built a largely right-wing audience, and was publicly aligned with the MAGA movement, making his criticism a notable break from within Trump's own base.
Responding to a White House announcement about the inaugural meeting of a new 'Board of Peace,' Ryan wrote on X: 'Ummm... I know we all thought the last guy had dementia but...', leaving the implication unstated. The reference to 'the last guy' appears to point to Joe Biden and long-running conservative claims about his cognitive decline — a pointed comparison from someone who once amplified those same claims. The White House has not directly addressed Ryan's remarks, and without independent medical evidence, the allegation should be treated cautiously.
