• cheese_greater@lemmy.world
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    4 months ago

    He probably literally can’t. Like MAYBE if his staff hangs around with a cattle prod and teleprompter maybe they can hide it for a while but dementia patients often can’t retain new information, they circle back again and again to whatever knowledge/memories that were locked in before their deterioration stepped up to their current slope downwards.

    I wouldn’t be surprised it this is a huge part of why they’re panicking so desperately. This is cataclysmic and I can’t wait to watch it unfold

    • falk1856@midwest.social
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      4 months ago

      Something tells me that if Biden, Hillary and Obama were to start stumping for Harris and the media covered it, Trump would have no idea who he was actually facing in the election. There’s no way his handlers would be able to keep him focused.

      • mozz@mbin.grits.devOP
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        4 months ago

        It would be a pleasant alternate reality if some reporter who was doing an interview with Trump would start giving him a cognitive test live on air.

        You wouldn’t have to make it formal. Just ask a few questions about Obama, get him talking about Obama’s policies, maybe the Iran nuclear deal. And then suddenly ask, “Who’s your opponent, Donald?” Soft and friendly like a serial killer. “Who are you running against in this election?”

        “What year is it, Donald? What’s the day of the week?”

        “Who’s this, Donald?” and put up a picture of Nikki Haley.

        “What year did Covid happen, Donald? Can you remember?”

        Give him lots of long silences to try to figure the answers out. Don’t interrupt, don’t distract him, don’t move on. Just let the dead air play out until he can’t stand it and says something. But if it’s not the answer… ask again. Tell him it’s okay if he doesn’t remember, but you want to give him another try.

        Before you do it, set up his mic all tangled and firmly fastened, so if he tries to stand up and leave, he can’t get it off, and keep the camera running while he struggles. Keep asking questions while he’s trying to free himself. Politely and calmly, but don’t stop.

        • Lupus@feddit.org
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          4 months ago

          A little off topic but I’ve been listening to the Alex Jones depositions on the knowledge fight podcast (highly recommend) and that was kinda similar. Not in a cognitive test way, but seeing his fish gallop technique running into a wall is so satisfying.

          For example the plaintiffs lawyer asks a question, Jones uses that as a jumping off point for one of his famous nonsense rants and they just let him ramble for 2 minutes and then the lawyer answers in a very calm manner - “Mr. Jones, that was not my question, my question was …” Repeatedly until they got a straight answer, “Mr Jones I have all day to get the answers I need.”

          Once or twice the lawyer even interrupted him with “Babababab! Please just answer my question!” Or “What are you even talking about?” Jones was so caught in his show persona that he stood no chance of avoiding to answer unpleasant questions.

          His dad was way more in control of the court room, giving yes or no answers, keeping it short, like someone who listens to his lawyers should do.

          The scariest dude in the depositions was one of his editors, a nice sounding guy, who hated Alex Jones, knew that what they were doing was harmful bullshit but continued to do it for years without caring about the impact. The mundanity of evil.