From med beds to sombreros: Trump’s bizarre behavior raises alarm
5 Min Read
Observers in the United States and abroad have noted increasingly unusual behavior from President Donald Trump, particularly online.
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US President Donald Trump speaks to reporters before departing the White House, en route to Norfolk, Va., to observe a naval sea power demonstration, in Washington, as White House chief of staff Susie Wiles listens, on Sunday, Oct. 5, 2025 (AP)
Donald Trump’s recent online posts and public appearances have sparked concern among lawmakers, military officials, and observers, as the former president shares bizarre AI videos, confusing statements, and unusual public remarks.
"To many observers, both in the US and abroad, Donald Trump has been behaving strangely recently. Especially online," wrote Adam Gabbatt, a writer and presenter for Guardian US based in New York, in a stirring analysis.
Sombreros
Last week, Trump posted an AI-generated video depicting Hakeem Jeffries, the first Black House minority leader, wearing a sombrero and an exaggerated moustache, accompanied by mariachi music.
Hispanic groups criticized the post as “racist”, “dangerous”, and “reprehensible”. Trump doubled down by sharing a second video showing himself wearing a sombrero and playing the guitar behind a rendering of Jeffries.
Med beds
Trump also reposted another AI video promoting “med bed hospitals,” showing an AI version of himself seated in the Oval Office: “Every American will soon receive their own med bed card. With it, you’ll have guaranteed access to our new hospitals led by the top doctors in the nation, equipped with the most advanced technology in the world.”
The concept of “med beds” is widely regarded as a rightwing conspiracy theory, and the post raised questions about whether Trump truly believed the video depicted him or his government issuing such cards.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said, “I think the president saw the video and posted it, and then took it down. And he has the right to do that. It’s his social media. He’s incredibly transparent, as you all know. You hear from him directly on social media. He likes to share memes, he likes to share videos, he likes to repost things that he sees other people post on social media as well and I think it’s quite refreshing that we have a president who is so open and honest.”
Confusing statements in public appearances
Trump’s unusual behavior extends to in-person appearances. In a recent White House speech on autism grants, he made statements that confounded experts, “They have to move quickly. They, they – when the alternative is that nothing bad can happen, let’s do it now. I was just saying to Bobby [health secretary Robert F Kennedy Jr] and the group, let’s do it now. Nothing bad can happen, it can only good happen.”
He has also confused countries in public remarks, previously mixing up Albania and Armenia when discussing a peace deal with Azerbaijan.
Even when addressing current events, Trump’s social media posts have been erratic. After a shooting at a Mormon church in Michigan, he wrote: “The Trump Administration will keep the Public posted, as we always do.”
Hours later, he posted a video showing gold fixtures in the White House: “Some of the highest quality 24 Karat Gold used in the Oval Office and Cabinet Room of the White House. Foreign Leaders, and everyone else, ‘freak out’ when they see the quality and beauty. Best Oval Office ever, in terms of success and look!!! President DJT.”
Military meeting sparks further concern
During a meeting with top military commanders in Virginia, Trump made a series of erratic statements, at one point discussing former presidents falling down stairs: “America is respected again as a country. We were not respected with Biden. They looked at him falling down stairs every day. Every day, the guy’s falling down stairs.”
“I said: ‘It’s not our president. We can’t have it.’ I’m very careful, you know, when I walk downstairs for – like I’m on stairs, like these stairs, I’m very – I walk very slowly. Nobody has to set a record, just try not to fall because it doesn’t work out well. A few of our presidents have fallen and it became a part of their legacy. We don’t want that. Need to walk nice and easy. You not have – you don’t have to set any record. Be cool, be cool when you walk down, but don’t, don’t bop down the stairs. That’s the one thing with Obama, I had zero respect for him as a president, but he would bop down those stairs, I’ve never seen – da da da da da da, bop, bop, bop, he’d go down the stairs, wouldn’t hold on. I said, it’s great, I don’t want to do it. I guess I could do it, but eventually bad things are going to happen and it only takes once, but he did a lousy job as president.”
He also made remarks about urban safety and military training: “Cities including San Francisco, Chicago, New York, Los Angeles are very unsafe places and we’re going to straighten them out one by one.”
“We should use some of these dangerous cities as training grounds for our military.”
The speech prompted concern from former military leaders. Retired General Barry McCaffrey told MSNBC: “The president sounded incoherent, exhausted, rabidly partisan, at times stupid, meandering, couldn’t hold a thought together.”
Congressional reactions included a direct confrontation over Trump’s mental state. Democratic Rep. Madeleine Dean told Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson: “The president is unhinged. He is unwell.”
Johnson responded: “Well a lot of folks on your side are too.”
