Donald Trump Becoming 'More Rambling'—Maggie Haberman

Former President Donald Trump's public appearances have increasingly been characterized by a lack of focus and coherence, as noted by CNN commentator and The New York Times reporter Maggie Haberman.

During an appearance on CNN's The Source on Tuesday, Haberman remarked that Trump's speaking style has noticeably changed, becoming "more rambling" and "more incoherent" compared to earlier years. This observation followed Trump’s interview with Bloomberg Editor-in-Chief John Micklethwait at the Economic Club of Chicago, where his responses often strayed far from the questions posed.

For instance, when asked about the potential breakup of Alphabet, the parent company of Google, Trump diverted the conversation to a Department of Justice lawsuit related to voter roll purges in Virginia. “Should Google be broken up?” Micklethwait asked, to which Trump responded: “I just haven’t gotten over something that the Justice Department did yesterday where Virginia cleaned up its voter rolls and got rid of thousands of bad votes.” When Micklethwait reminded him of the original question, Trump responded, “Yeah, look. Google’s got a lot of power, very bad to me, they are very bad to me.”

Haberman pointed out that while Trump has always had a "discursive speaking style," it has now become longer and more rambling, with speeches frequently lasting over 75 minutes, compared to the shorter addresses during his presidency. His aides, she said, have tried to shorten his speeches, but have been unsuccessful.

Throughout the Bloomberg interview, Micklethwait had to redirect Trump several times. When discussing tariffs, Trump veered into a lengthy tangent about the U.S. military, prompting Micklethwait to clarify, “With great respect, I was asking about tariffs.” Trump eventually stated that tariffs help because “China thinks we’re a stupid country.”

This meandering style has reignited discussions about Trump’s cognitive sharpness, particularly as he approaches the possibility of becoming the oldest president in U.S. history if re-elected. In a recent interview, Trump struggled to articulate a clear response when asked about his plans for making childcare more affordable, instead discussing a wide range of topics from foreign taxes to deficit reduction.

A New York Times analysis of Trump’s speeches highlighted that they have grown harsher, longer, and less focused. In 2016, his speeches averaged 45 minutes, but now they can last up to 82 minutes, with an increase in extreme rhetoric and profanity.

Haberman suggested that Trump’s self-proclaimed strategy, which he calls "the weave," may be an attempt to explain his disjointed communication style. “Calling it 'the weave' is PR to try to explain why he’s talking this way,” Haberman said.

During a recent town hall in Oaks, Pennsylvania, Trump made headlines when he stopped taking questions from the audience and instead played music for 39 minutes, causing some attendees to leave early. When two people required medical attention, Trump jokingly asked if anyone else wanted to faint before deciding to play music, including songs like "An American Trilogy" by Elvis Presley and "YMCA" by the Village People.

Despite the growing concerns about his mental clarity, Trump has dismissed such criticisms. At a June rally, he boasted about his ability to speak for two hours without a teleprompter, defending his style as "brilliant" and claiming that any critique of his speaking ability was an exaggerated attack. Trump has also refused to release his updated medical records.