Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker said Tuesday that President Donald Trump has dementia and refused to retract the claim when CNN's Kaitlan Collins asked if he was serious. The Democratic governor, a potential presidential candidate, offered his assessment while discussing Trump's reaction to democratic socialist victories in the New York primary.
Pritzker's Diagnosis
Collins asked Pritzker about Trump labeling democratic socialists as communists and the greatest threat to the country since its founding, surpassing World War I, World War II, Pearl Harbor, and 9/11. Pritzker responded: "The man is continually suffering from dementia. I don't think he really understands what he's saying." He added that Trump has threatened to jail the mayor of Chicago and the governor of Illinois, and has used the Department of Justice to target opponents. "He just has these concepts in his head and he blurts them out without really thinking," Pritzker said.
Pressed on the Claim
Collins revisited Pritzker's assertion, asking if he truly believes the president has dementia. "I do, I do," Pritzker replied. He pointed to videos from 2015 and 2016, comparing Trump's responses and press conference performance to now. "I really think that there's something genuinely wrong with him. I'm not a doctor. I haven't diagnosed anything. I'm just suggesting to you that just look at the way he puts words and sentences together and thoughts, and they're almost divergent in the same sentences."
White House Response
The White House disputed Pritzker's claim. In a statement read by Collins, Trump's team said: "Jay is a certifiable loser who has done a terrible job running his state. Everybody sees it clearly except for him. He must have dementia." Trump, 80, has faced speculation about his cognitive state, though no medical professionals who have treated him have publicly diagnosed him.
