Chapter 1: What concerns are raised about Donald Trump's cognitive abilities?
Donald Trump's inner circle is in full panic mode, trying to cover up what is becoming impossible to ignore. And Lara Trump is one of those people in full propaganda mode on TV, insisting Trump is just sharper than ever. He's never been sharper, even as his Davos performance was confused and low energy and globally mocked.
We're going to break down the psychology of this kind of cult level myth making and why it signals fear. Then a female reporter asked Trump basic foreign policy questions and he implodes. He can't explain. Why did you invite warmonger Vladimir Putin to an event about peace when he's asked about buying Greenland, a ship that has long sailed? Now he freezes and gives a meaningless answer.
Performative geopolitics. Yes. But demented as well, we will discuss. Plus, the United States facing a major measles outbreak. Anti-vax politics are a huge part of the story. Hundreds of cases, quarantines, isolation, schools affected. We were done with measles in the year 2000 and it is back. It is back again.
We're also going to look at polling that shows 71 percent of Americans believe the country is out of control. But is it out of control because of Trump or is Trump the guy who they believe is going to get it back under control? And then a Fox guest admits the truth about the blanket tariffs. Surprise. They're not good. All of that and more today.
Well, desperation is growing to cover up whatever is going on with Donald Trump. And there is a desperation every time Trump short circuits that is palpable. And even Trump's family is finding itself in panic mode over the obvious cognitive decline. I don't know what condition Trump has.
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Chapter 2: How does Trump's foreign policy appear incoherent?
It doesn't seem that the White House is going to tell us. They haven't told us almost anything about Trump's health until push comes to shove. And even then, often it's inaccurate. But we are now in the midst of damage control propaganda, not neutral commentary. And in comes Lara. Trump speaks to Laura Ingraham after Trump delivered this completely chaotic and rambling appearance.
And she says it was dominant. It was brilliant even after he arrived late because of a problem with his plane. He did so well. This is reality inversion. Instead of not addressing the cognitive stuff or instead of saying his fine, he's fine. You give spin so exaggerated that it ends up highlighting how worried allies and families are about the perception of decline.
If they weren't worried, she wouldn't be bending over backwards to say this was the most dominant performance he's ever had, which, of course, it wasn't. Take a look at this. You have all these former Trump officials who I never even met in the White House in the first Trump term, but I guess they had some role.
Stephanie Grisham, I wouldn't recognize her if I saw her on the street, but she's like, oh, the Trump speech shows us that he's slipping. Oh, it shows that we need to. I'm just paraphrasing. It was the 25th Amendment.
Yeah, well, all you need to know is that close to 90 percent, I think, of the signatures given during the Biden administration were done via auto pen. This president that we have right.
Which, of course, has nothing to do whether that's even true, has nothing to do with the frequency with which presidents use the auto pen.
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Chapter 3: What impact does anti-vaccine rhetoric have on public health?
But Biden using an auto pen doesn't mean Trump made any sense in Switzerland. He didn't. It has nothing to do with the auto pen a year and a half ago.
Now the 47th has all of his faculties about him. He literally had a three-hour delay getting to Davos last night because there was a problem with the plane. He went there, he schooled every single person in that audience about how they ought to be running their countries, about why America is back. You saw it. I loved every single second of this.
He exuded strength on the world stage, which is something we were lacking for far too long. They can talk all they want, but the proof is in the pudding. The American people feel it. You can see it with this president every single day.
It's a little too much, Lara. It's a little too much. He schooled people. He told other people how to run their countries, which people love being told how to do. He ranted in a low energy way.
Chapter 4: What do recent polls reveal about Americans' perceptions of chaos?
It was both ranting and raving, but low energy. And the room laughed at him and otherwise sat in silence, horrified and confused by the things that he was saying, including, by the way, wrongly referring to Greenland as Iceland Not once, not twice, but three times. Lara Trump truly seems to think that this was some incredible feat of public speaking and stamina and strength.
This is the cult of personality myth making this. This is how it works. No evidence, no metrics, no policy examples. It is grandiose hero worship. And she married into it after all of it. And, you know, when they when they become this hyperbolic, it's so extreme that it undermines credibility. Trump's almost 80.
Any almost 80 year old that is president of the United States would probably be tired. That's like not really a big deal. And when you come in and you go, no one is more fit, no one is sharper, no one's been better.
Chapter 5: How are U.S. allies responding to Trump's trade policies?
You only have to look at a video of Trump six months ago to realize he's been better. And then six months before that and a couple of years before that and before you know it, he sounds kind of articulate. And now he doesn't make any sense with this diminished vocabulary, repetitive phrases and the entire thing. So nothing that Lara Trump is telling us is political messaging.
It's just the construction of myths for cults. And when cognitive concerns rise, supporters end up having to pivot to this godlike framing. Oh, you're going to say he slowed down. I'm going to tell you that there's no one like him and he doesn't need to sleep and he gets a hole in one every you know, this type of stuff you hear about Kim Jong Un and previously heard about about Kim Jong Il.
It's the psychological mechanism of authoritarian fandom, which is you exaggerate the greatness to offset visible weakness that we all can see. And what you end up telling people is you can't believe your eyes. When you hear Trump and he sounds disoriented, when you see Trump and he's swollen and sweaty and hunched over the lectern and hinging at the waist in that weird forward position.
Forget about everything your eyes and ears tell you. Just listen to Lara Trump. And it is North Korea level leader worship. That's what it is. And they are terrified that the public narrative about his strength and vigor and vitality is slipping. I think the louder his family goes, he's never been sharper, which is so obviously not true. The worse it's actually going to get.
Donald Trump is not big on female reporters. He likes talking about their appearance if he finds them attractive, but he doesn't like real serious questions from female reporters. And Caitlin Collins from CNN is someone that regularly gets under Donald Trump's skin. She asked Trump a really great question, which is, on the one hand, You say we need Greenland because Russia might take it.
We've got to we need to take it before Putin takes it, because that would be very dangerous. But on the other hand, you've invited Putin to be on your Gaza Board of Peace, essentially asking, why would you put a warmonger who you're worried will steal even more territory on a board that's going to talk about peace? It doesn't make sense. And Trump goes, well,
What, am I gonna put babies on the board?
You talked about being concerned, Mr. President, about Russia trying to come and take over Greenland. If you're worried that Putin would do something like that, why invite him to join your board of peace?
Because we want everybody. We want all nations. We want all nations where people have control, people have power. That way we're never gonna have a problem. This is the greatest board ever assembled. And everybody wants to be on it. But yeah, I have some controversial people on it, but these are people that get the job done. These are people that have
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Chapter 6: How does the episode conclude regarding Trump's influence and public perception?
It's a yes, no question. Does the deal you signed, which you after months of saying the U.S. must have Greenland and threatening tariffs, if the U.S. doesn't get Greenland, you've now said we've got a deal. So I don't need to do the tariffs. So did you get Greenland? And Trump goes, well, it's a long term deal. Oh, it's a long term deal.
He floats acquiring foreign territory, one of the biggest geopolitical moves imaginable. He says it absolutely is a requirement for the national security of the United States. And when he's pressed, he can't even explain whether the plan exists. how it would be ratified and is not even remotely able to say, yes, it includes getting Greenland, because, of course, it doesn't.
And it's a mirror of the concept of a plan. There is no real content, world shaking ideas, threatening alliances and moving pieces all over the place. And it's just performative geopolitics with some kind of punch line that he thinks he's going to get. He wants to buy Greenland But he can't explain whether he's actually buying Greenland like it's beyond belief.
And when it comes from a female reporter, he likes it even less. Later on the show, the measles outbreak. Guys, it's a disaster. It's a disaster. I recently had a conversation with our pediatrician about traveling with the baby who's too little to be given the MMR vaccine. And we talked about the measles outbreak. I'll tell you what the pediatrician said.
And we've got so many more things coming up. Remember that we do a daily newsletter. It's free and it's on Substack Substack dot David Pakman dot com. And I would love it. I genuinely would love it. If you signed up for that, check it out. Quick break back after this.
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Chapter 7: What is the significance of the measles outbreak in the U.S.?
OK. The sus wrote in. said the following. This season of America is extreme. My anxiety is through the roof and my compassion for those that are hurt and suffering is so strong. Yet I am filled with worry and helplessness.
For the last six years, I've listened to David, which helped me navigate through those feelings, though I deeply appreciate David and his work and what he continues to offer us. Even he can't ease this terrible feeling I have. The country is spinning out of control and something needs to be done before it snaps for good. Well, I agree. I agree. I can't wish it all away.
as much as I wish I could. And a couple of the things that are really important in times like these are, number one, we do need a goal and a target. And right now, the immediate goal and target is we got to get Republicans out of power, at least in the House in November. That's coming up. And we also need community.
And hopefully, even if I can't make Trump go away and fix all the problems we have, hopefully the show at least provides some semblance of community to people so that we can be together and plan for what the next steps are. We've got a phenomenal bonus show for you today. You can sign up at join Pacman dot com. People have been asking about my one twenty twenty nine shirt.
It's just a little something we offer on our store. You can check it out. Store David Pacman dot com. We'll see you on the bonus show and I'll be back Monday.
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