Trump's 'Cognitive Issues Are a Crisis' — Health Concerns for Prez Intensify as He 'Struggles With Basic English' During Chaotic Rant
Donald Trump sparked backlash after another bizarre 'sea' versus 'see' explanation.
May 12 2026, Published 1:00 p.m. ET
Donald Trump is once again facing intense scrutiny over his mental sharpness after delivering another bizarre explanation about the difference between "sea" and "see" during a White House event, RadarOnline.com can reveal.
The 79-year-old president sparked fresh dementia concerns on Tuesday, May 12, while speaking at a National Police Week dinner in the Rose Garden, where he veered off course while discussing drug trafficking into the United States.
Donald Trump Goes Off on 'Sea' Vs. 'See'
Critics questioned Trump's cognitive health following the rambling White House remarks.
While speaking about illegal drugs entering the country, Trump suddenly launched into an odd clarification about the word "sea."
"Drugs coming by sea meaning coming by water. A lot of people don’t know what I mean by sea. They think I mean vision. I'm talking about sea like the sea," Trump told the audience.
His comments immediately triggered backlash online, with critics accusing the president of showing signs of cognitive decline.
"When he says 'a lot of people' he means 'me.' His cognitive issues are a crisis," one social media user wrote.
Another person added: "He's getting worse."
A third mocked: "OK, grandpa, we need you to finish the rest of your mashed potatoes because it's time for bed."
Trump's comments quickly went viral as critics accused him of 'struggling with basic English.'
Critics Say Trump Is 'Struggling With Basic English'
The president delivered the unusual remarks during a National Police Week event.
Trump's remarks continued to spiral into a viral moment as more users questioned why Trump appeared fixated on explaining two extremely common homophones.
"I'm telling you – this motherf----- learned like WEEKS ago, that 'by sea' wasn’t 'by see.' And that is f------ INSANE," one person raged.
"No one, literally NO ONE thinks now or thought ever, that it was 'by see,'" the user continued. "No one who is not brain dead or an illiterate f------ toddler."
Another added: "The president is struggling with basic English. Not good."
Trump previously made nearly identical remarks during a Military Mother's Day event.
The backlash intensified because Trump made nearly identical comments less than one week earlier during a White House event celebrating Military Mother's Day.
During the May 6 appearance, Trump once again paused to explain the meaning of "sea."
"By sea – by sea, by ocean, by the water, you know. A lot of people say, 'What do you mean by sea?' I said, see, like vision? No. It's sea. S-E-A," he said.
The repeated explanation fueled even more ridicule online.
One critic branded Trump the "idiot of the century," adding: "Hands down. I doubt we'll ever see a dumber president than Trump."
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MSNBC Hosts Mock Trump's Comments
MSNBC hosts Jonathan Lemire and Sam Stein later mocked Trump's comments on-air.
Trump's remarks also became a topic of discussion on MSNBC's Morning Joe, where co-host Jonathan Lemire mocked the president's unusual explanation.
"Sam, did you know that there are some words that sound the same, but have different meanings and are spelled differently?" Lemire joked during Thursday’s broadcast. "Apparently, the president was just alerted to this fact."
The Bulwark managing editor Sam Stein responded with sarcasm of his own.
"I was confused by 'sea' versus 'see' as well," Stein quipped, "hopefully he articulated the differences between the water fair and kind and what you do with your eyes."
