Donald Trump is well-known for making insensitive remarks about serious issues. Time and again, he has downplayed the suffering of individuals and groups while turning the conversation toward himself in a manner characteristic of narcissists. Most recently, he has tried to dismiss former President Joe Biden’s cancer diagnosis.
During a recent press conference at the Oval Office, Trump was asked to share his thoughts on Joe Biden’s health in relation to his prostate cancer diagnosis. While he initially expressed sadness over the news, his later comments seemed to accuse Biden of not informing the public about his “stage nine” diagnosis, yes, you read that right. He said:
“I’m surprised that the public wasn’t notified a long time ago, because to get to stage 9, that’s a long time … I just had my physical, you saw the results of that particular test. I think that test is standard to pretty much anybody getting a physical, good physical. We had the doctors at the White House and over at Walter Reed, which is a fantastic hospital.”
In a typical demonstration of inserting himself into a matter that had nothing to do with him, Trump spoke of his own medical tests, including for cancer. He proudly stated that he had “aced” all the tests, in much the same way a child brags about passing an exam. He boasted:
“I did a very complete physical, including cognitive tests. I’m proud to announce I aced it, got them all. I got them all right.”
Trump’s comments during the press conference were widely shared online, particularly on X (formerly known as Twitter). While many individuals with Democratic leanings criticised him, several Republican supporters also joined in, mocking his intellect. A major point of contention was Trump’s reference to “stage nine cancer,” which does not exist, as the highest stage is actually four. People on the social media platform labelled him as “dumb” and used other derogatory terms to highlight their concerns about his understanding.
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