It's now the battle of the senile in the race for the White House

He has fallen off his bike, nodded off at summits, mangled his words and has been using a short, baby staircase on Air Force One after too many stumbles. He needs large-lettered cue cards to stay on message and repeats favourite stories inadvertently. That is just for starters. He will be 86 by the end of a second term in office.
Every gaffe and slip has been recycled on social media and Trump friendly talk shows. The message has got through. A Washington Post/ABC News poll on January 14 showed that only 28 per cent of respondents thought Biden, 81, had the "mental sharpness" to be an effective president, a diagnosis that explains why his approval ratings remain stubbornly in the doldrums. In contrast 47 per cent thought Donald Trump had the mental acuity to serve. Trump may be mad as a box of frogs with a maniacal energy that powers his campaign, but he has not been regarded as doddery or borderline senile. Until now.
Let the battle of the geriatrics begin! Nothing enrages Trump, 77, more than mockery and laughter, much as he loves dishing it out. And Trump, undeniably, has made a series of flubs.
First he muddled up Biden with Barack Obama no less than seven times at various events last autumn, called the Hungarian premier Victor Orban the leader of Turkey, claimed Kim Jong-un of North Korea led a country of 1.4 billion people (did he mean the Chinese president, Xi Jinping?) and appeared to confuse Jeb Bush, the ex-Florida governor, with his brother, former president George W Bush.
Denne historien er fra January 31, 2024-utgaven av Evening Standard.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9500+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent ? Logg på
Denne historien er fra January 31, 2024-utgaven av Evening Standard.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9500+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på

It's time for a brutal truth: JD Vance wa right about free speech in Britain
Britain’s complacency when it comes to free speech in this country can be measured by the testiness with which people react to criticisms about it.

‘Make-up is my mask. It’s a safety lanket between the world and me’
Euphoria star Hunter Schafer on her style evolution and learning to feel beautiful

STARS
Aries March 19 — April 19 Certain tricky issues need to be discussed, but the time has never been right. Now that these are in the spotlight, others are already presenting their side.

Classical/Jazz Marsalis's pact with the Devil—and Stravinsky —is a tight, spiky delight
The Devil, they say, has the best tunes, but if that's the case, we're all devil-worshippers.

A day in the life: Cardiologist and author Eric Topol
The US doctor cracks on with research at 5.30am, always makes time for exercise and relies on an Oura ring for his deep sleep

WHY TAMSIN GREIG LOVES SWANNING AROUND SWANAGE
Breathtaking clifftop views, dreamy cream teas and the best fish and chips in the world — oh, the actor does love to be beside the seaside in this Dorset town

At the table Sit back and take your sweet time at this Caribbean
Not to review one place by talking about another, but in the Amex desert of suburban Islington is a restaurant so improbable it might have opened by mistake.

HOW TRUMP AND MUSK'S FALLOUT WENT NUCLEAR
Theirs was the bromance of the century — destined not to last, but no one predicted it would implode quite so spectacularly. Katie Strick examines a very public break-up

Comedian Katherine Ryan sips margaritas at La Bodega Negra and loves breakfast in bed at Claridge's
I once held a cabbie hostage inside my gates. He was banging on the door and must have been captive for at least half an hour

The AI advertising revolution will be televised — and you can't escape it...
First it ratcheted up subscription fees. Then it introduced ads. Now Netflix has hit on a new wheeze: AI-tuned ads that will seamlessly integrate into whatever you're watching.