Jens Asbjørn Bøgen
Online users are divided over what the clip actually shows.
A couple of weeks ago, news reports of Donald Trump seemingly about to wander off in the wrong direction at the G7 Summit before being guided by French President Emmanuel Macron sparked renewed scrutiny over the U.S. president’s mental health.
The incident quickly gained traction online, with some suggesting Trump seemed confused.
Now, fuel has been added to the fire after a similar incident occurred when Trump arrived at the NATO summit in Turkey.
Guided by the arm
During a live broadcast of the American president walking side by side with his Turkish counterpart, Trump stopped and stared to the left while Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan was about to continue walking.
Erdoğan grabbed the president’s arm and guided Trump to a microphone near the two heads of state.
Click to display external content from t.co,
- You can always enable and disable third-party content.
You agree to display external third-party content. Personal data may be sent to the provider of the content and other third-party services.
On social media, this brief interaction immediately set online platforms alight. Observers noted that the 80-year-old president seemed confused before his counterpart intervened.
Guard of honor
As the camera zooms out, you can see a line of the guard of honor where Trump appeared to be looking when he stopped, but critics wasted no time drawing comparisons to past political battles over aging politicians.
On X, users debated whether the moment was being handled fairly. One user wrote, “Trump appears to start wandering off as Turkey’s leader, Erdoğan, grabs his hand and seems to pull him in the correct direction. Imagine what Fox News would be saying if this were Joe Biden. They would cover this for a week straight.”
Click to display external content from t.co,
- You can always enable and disable third-party content.
You agree to display external third-party content. Personal data may be sent to the provider of the content and other third-party services.
Another clip shows Trump and Erdogan arriving at a ceremonial welcome, where you see Erdogan hold Trumps arm when they walk through the doors.
Click to display external content from t.co,
- You can always enable and disable third-party content.
You agree to display external third-party content. Personal data may be sent to the provider of the content and other third-party services.
Defending the president
But supporters quickly defended the commander-in-chief, arguing that opponents were intentionally misinterpreting the clip.
One defender wrote, “Making it seem like he’s wandering off and looking at no one when there are a group of soldiers standing there to greet him. Trying to make him seem like he’s as frail as Biden. You, like some of these Democrat and Republican accounts, are a major gaslighter.”
Beyond the online storm, the meetings carry immense geopolitical weight. The two-day NATO conference comes at a volatile time, with allies anxious about America’s commitment to the alliance.
Leaders plan to discuss major defense spending and support for Ukraine. With billions of dollars in new military contracts on the line, every movement will face intense scrutiny.
