Donald Trump has never been what one might consider an intellectual giant but there are moments when his incoherence and ignorance dip into something even more disturbing, something that seems like genuine cognitive decline. As a 73-year-old man, it makes sense that his mental acuity would be eroding over time but often it feels like it's eroded completely.

During a meeting with industry executives at the White House today, Trump looked genuinely confused on camera, his eyes red and wet as he blinked around at his surroundings. A clip from the meeting, shared by Vox's Aaron Rupar, shows Trump mumbling as people file into the room. While it sounds like he's saying "Hello everybody," his voice and tone are so oddly garbled that it almost sounds like he's saying "I love everybody."

It's possible that his apparent complete lack of energy is due to the stress of his botched COVID-19 response getting to him, but it's also hard to discount the theory that his age is what's really catching up with him. Whatever the explanation, this is not the kind of thing that instills confidence in the White House. A pandemic rages and this confused old man is leading us.

The video clip quickly went viral as Twitter users piled in to offer theories—ranging from suggestions that the president was high on drugs to assessments that he is severely mentally unwell— as well as jokes about the bizarre behavior.

@KevinMKruse

Washington Times. April 27, 2020

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Voices4America Post Script. Here are more Twitter responses to the "hot mic" moment yesterday, when cameras got Trump appearing to say 'I love everybody' or "'hello everybody." His words are so mumbled & so from outer space that it is hard to decipher. What is clear is #TrumpIsNuts #TrumpUnfit