Trump’s Campaign Rocked by PTSD Concerns Amid Biden’s Exit from 2024 Race
Concerns are mounting within Donald Trump’s campaign team as they fear the former President may be suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Trump’s mental state has reportedly been in decline since Joe Biden announced his decision to drop out of the 2024 presidential race. The situation has been exacerbated by Trump’s repeated viewing of a seven-second clip capturing the moment a bullet grazed his right ear during a failed assassination attempt at a Pennsylvania rally.
Alarming fixation on the assassination clip
According to insiders, Trump has been “watching that seven-second clip of how close he was to getting shot right in the head—over and over and over again.” This alarming fixation on the video has left his staff increasingly worried about the impact on his mental health. A Republican campaign source told Vanity Fair that the former president “may actually have PTSD.” A campaign official confirmed that the shooting continues to weigh heavily on Trump, adding, “He’s been through a lot.”
The assassination attempt
On July 13, while giving a speech near Butler, Pennsylvania, before the Republican National Convention, where he was set to announce his running mate, Trump narrowly escaped an assassination attempt. The Secret Service agents were quick to respond, ensuring his safety.
As Trump’s mental well-being becomes a growing concern, donors and allies are urging him to stay focused during his speeches and avoid wild conspiracy theories that could derail his campaign efforts, especially as Kamala Harris’ campaign gains momentum.
Fixation on crowd sizes and past accomplishments
Despite these concerns, the Republican candidate continues to fixate on the crowd sizes at Harris-Walz rallies, comparing them to his own and launching scathing attacks. He remains obsessed with his past accomplishments during his term. “It’s like he’s choosing to lose,” a frustrated Republican close to the campaign remarked.
Another theory that Trump’s campaign staff strongly believes is contributing to his self-sabotaging behavior is Joe Biden’s decision to drop out of the race. Ironically, while Trump was the one who kept pushing for Biden to step down, citing his cognitive decline as a reason why his own candidacy was superior, he now can’t seem to move past Biden’s exit. “They cheated by swapping Biden,” Trump has reportedly told those close to him, according to a source.
Recent polls suggest Harris and Trump are neck and neck heading into the election, with Harris even leading in some key areas. While polls may fluctuate over time, the fact that Trump was leading in almost all surveys when Biden was the opponent—but now the situation has shifted—may have left him feeling unsettled.