Trump ‘might be suffering’ from PTSD as he keeps watching 7-second video of himself getting...
Trump's campaign team fears he may have PTSD, worsened by repeatedly watching a clip of a failed assassination attempt.
Concerns are growing within Donald Trump's campaign team as they fear the former president may be suffering from PTSD. Trump has reportedly been in a mental spiral since Joe Biden announced his decision to drop out of the 2024 race, a situation made worse by his repeated viewing of a seven-second clip capturing the moment his right ear was grazed by a bullet during a failed assassination attempt at a Pennsylvania rally.
Trump ‘might be suffering from PTSD’
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.” His 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 legit have PTSD.” A campaign official confirmed that the shooting continues to weigh on Trump, adding, “He’s been through a lot.”
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On July 13, while giving a speech close to Butler, Pennsylvania, before the RNC where he was going to pick his running mate, the Republican nominee narrowly dodged a plot to kill him during a campaign rally out in the open. Secret Service agents were on the scene fast to keep him safe. As Trump’s mental wellbeing becomes a growing concern, donors and allies are pushing him to stay sharp during his speeches and steer clear of wild conspiracy theories that might mess with his plans to fight off the increasing buzz around Kamala Harris' campaign.
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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 while remaining obsessed with his past accomplishments during his term. "It’s like he’s choosing to lose," a frustrated Republican close to the campaign remarked.
‘Trump sabotaging his own candidacy’
Another theory that Trump’s campaign staff strongly believes is contributing to his self-sabotaging behaviour 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.
The Trump team thought Harris's popularity would decline, but instead, it's only grown stronger. 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.