Donald Trump Sparks Concerns of 'Cognitive Decline' After Repeatedly Claiming Barack Obama Would Be 'Testifying' for 'Mohammad' El-Sayed
Donald Trump has once again sparked concern of cognitive decline.
Oct. 20 2026, Published 7:40 p.m. ET
President Donald Trump has sparked concerns about cognitive decline following his latest slip-up while campaigning, RadarOnline.com can reveal.
On Monday, October 19, in Kansas, the 80-year-old appeared to confuse Barack Obama’s campaign plans with testimony in a legal proceeding, repeatedly suggesting the former president would be "testifying for Mohammed" before clarifying that Obama was traveling to Michigan to campaign for Democratic Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed.
A Confusing Attack on Obama and "Mohammed”
Trump branded Obama a 'rotten president' during the Kansas rally.
During the rally, Trump appeared to struggle to keep the attack on track.
"He's gonna be testifying, or I guess, I think he will probably end up being testifying, I don't know. Whatever the h-ll he's doing,” he said, before correcting himself and acknowledging Obama’s planned campaign appearance.
He labeled Obama a "rotten president" and called El-Sayed arrogant, yet the remarks kept drifting as he tried to explain why the former president was traveling to Michigan.
The episode has fueled fresh questions about the president’s mental acuity at age 80, though the account itself does not establish cognitive decline.
Trump's bizarre remarks sparked concern about his mental wellbeing.
Later in the same speech, Trump defended Republican Sen. Roger Marshall against criticism for suing more than 700 patients over unpaid medical bills.
Trump insisted Marshall had been legally required to chase the debts and said the senator was being portrayed as a "Shylock," an antisemitic slur drawn from Shakespeare’s The Merchant of Venice.
Hecklers repeatedly interrupted Trump’s roughly hour-long appearance.
Supporters shouted over the interruptions while the president pressed ahead with attacks on Democrats and continued his disjointed critique of Obama.
Critics Go Off on Trump's Remarks
Trump's rally was also interrupted by protesters and hecklers.
Social media users also took issue with Trump calling El-Sayed "Mohammed."
"The man is clearly exhibiting signs of cognitive decline," one person on X speculated, as another quipped, "Grandpa means campaigning. But he’s gonzo."
A critic went off, "Trump no longer recalls correct words or the actual point of comments: standard dementia failure. Dementia patients pull up distantly related words, then wander off forgetting what they were trying to say. As you see here, Trump bluffs through his mistakes as if that was all intended."
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Complicated Alliance Between Abdul El-Sayed and Barack Obama
El-Sayed and Obama have not always been allies.
El-Sayed once delivered some of his sharpest public criticism of Obama. In 2012, El-Sayed accused the then-president of having "perpetuated war" and "violated civil liberties," adding that "the list of his failures goes on."
Those words have resurfaced as El-Sayed, now Michigan's Democratic Senate nominee, prepares to share a stage with Obama – the two are scheduled to appear together at an October 24 rally in Detroit alongside Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson.
During a recent Meet the Press interview, El-Sayed softened his earlier stance, saying Obama "did his best" under difficult circumstances and comparing the former president to his own father, someone whose efforts he appreciated even while acknowledging he would have made different choices.
He framed Obama's record as a handoff of leadership to a new generation.
The joint event comes as El-Sayed tries to steady Democratic support in a competitive race against Republican Mike Rogers, even as Republicans continue to attack his faith, family history, and past statements.
