2025 Review: Questions Arise Over Trump’s Mental and Physical Fitness
Throughout 2025, former President Donald Trump displayed erratic and rambling behavior that raised questions about his mental and physical fitness.
At a campaign event on December 19 in Rocky Mount, North Carolina, and in a December White House address, he claimed his administration had delivered more positive change than any government in US history.
Earlier in July, Trump recounted a story about his uncle, John Trump, teaching Ted Kaczynski at MIT; this claim was false since Kaczynski neither studied at MIT nor was alive during the described events.
In September, during a meeting with Ursula von der Leyen, Trump pivoted to wind energy, erroneously alleging that windmills drive whales and kill birds without evidence. The same month, at a meeting in Virginia with top military commanders, he asserted that America is respected again and spoke about walking downstairs, contrasting his physical condition with that of former President Obama.
In November, Trump said he had undergone an MRI but could not recall which body part was scanned. His schedule has notably shortened, with most events beginning around noon and ending by 5 pm, and official appearances down about 39% compared to his first term.
White House defenses maintained that Trump's mental sharpness is "second to none," and his former physician, Ronny Jackson, called him the healthiest president. Official statements continued to defend his health.
Meanwhile, Democrats planned to focus on his mental acuity and fitness as a key issue for the 2026 midterm elections.
Public polls during 2025 included a Pew survey showing 56% trust in national news, Gallup reporting 36% approval of Trump’s performance—the lowest in his second term—and YouGov indicating about half of respondents think he is too old to be president. Trump, born in June 1946, is set to turn 80 in June 2026.
