Donald Trump fuels claim joe Biden has dementia

The former president, at a rally in Georgia, attacks his successor’s competence and capacity for office.

Donald Trump excites thousands of his supporters in Perry, Georgia, by attacking Joe Biden on Saturday. Picture: AFP

Donald Trump swept into Georgia at the weekend for the latest of his “Save America” rallies in which he excited thousands of followers by attacking President Joe Biden’s competence and capacity for office.

Mr Trump, 75, who a survey showed last week is polling more favourably than Mr Biden, 78, lambasted his successor in the White House for letting a growing number of migrants cross the US southern border and he repeated a claim that the President does not have the capacity to exercise his duties.

Speaking for more than 90 minutes in the rural town of Perry late on Saturday, the former president questioned whether Mr Biden was truly in charge of his administration and said the handling of the Afghan withdrawal made him a “stupid son of a bitch”.

It was a reference to Mr Biden’s mental health and comes after the President apparently forgot the name of Australian Prim Minister Scott Morrison during the announcement of the tripartite nuclear submarine deal with Britain two weeks ago.

Others who spoke at the rally went further.

“We’re on the brink of a communist United States of America that serves China and we’ve got a man in the White House who’s a real piece of … And he’s got dementia too,” said Marjorie Taylor Greene, a Trump-supporting congresswoman for Georgia’s 14th district.

Mr Trump renewed his claims that last year’s election was stolen from him and again hinted that he would stand for the presidency in 2024.

“In Afghanistan, (Biden) ­humiliated our nation with the appalling display of incompetence,” Mr Trump said.

“After just eight months, Joe Biden and the radical Democrats are well on their way to turning America into a Third World country. American sovereignty is being extinguished by the deliberate and wilful policies put in place by Joe Biden and the left-wing extremists. I don’t know if Joe is exactly involved.”

The rally was Mr Trump’s first public opportunity to address the White House’s most recent difficulties. The increasing number of migrants crossing from Mexico was a ripe topic for him, especially after as many as 16,000 Haitians walked into Del Rio, Texas, last week. Mr Trump described it as an “invasion”.

He also defended what ­others, particularly on the Democrat side, have called heavy-handed tactics from ­border guards who repelled the migrants.

There were the usual boos from the crowd for the “fake news” media, cheers for the so-far fruitless efforts to show last year’s general election was stolen, and excitement at the tease that the man voted out of office will stand again in 2024.

“2020 was the most corrupt election in the history of our country; the most corrupt election in the history of most countries,” Mr Trump said. “To be followed by an even more glorious victory in November of 2024. If we have a country left in 2024.”

Mr Trump’s supporters, almost exclusively white, had waited for hours for him to speak.

“I’ll tell you what I like about him,” said Wayne Carroll, a retired furniture salesman. “He’s a guy that has worked his way up and made his money. He’s just a regular guy who loves America, he loves the military, he respects God. He’s about the people.”

Asked if he wanted Mr Trump to stand again in 2024, Mr Carroll said: “Hell, yes. Everyone I know wants him to stand again, apart from a couple of people. We don’t know what’s wrong with them.”

Mr Trump also endorsed several challengers to incumbent Republicans in next year’s midterm elections.

After November’s election, Mr Trump called Brad Raffensperger, Georgia’s Secretary of State, asking him to “find” the 11,000 votes he needed to win it. In the end, Mr Biden took the state. Mr Trump publicly endorsed Jody Hice, who is standing against Mr Raffensperger, as well as Herschel Walker, a former American football star from Georgia, who is hoping to be elected to the US Senate.

The Times