Speaking at the Economic Club of Chicago on Tuesday, an unfocused and irritable Donald Trump botched answers to basic questions about how his agenda would impact American businesses and consumers while not denying that he has been having phone calls with Russian President Vladimir Putin. Trump’s meandering replies consisted of the usual grab-bag of tangential anecdotes and endless grievances, his interviewer repeatedly forced to keep him on track by reminding him of the topic he was supposed to be discussing.
The performance, coming a day after a Trump “town hall” devolved into the Republican nominee meandering on stage for 39 awkward and alarming minutes as his fans listened to his favorite songs, did not reassure critics who say the former president’s recent behavior is a sign of cognitive decline. The Republican nominee was never one for specifics, or staying on message, but his claimed “weave” — rambling about something else before returning to the topic at hand — appears less intentional and more like a man experiencing the inevitable effects of aging.
