Donald Trump’s increasing vulgarity, is it a sign of his mental decline?

George Washington: “The foolish and wicked practice of profane cursing and swearing… is a vice so mean and low, without any temptation, that every man of sense and character detests and despises it.”

Spencer W. Kimball: “Profanity is the effort of a feeble brain to express itself forcibly.”

William W. Purkey: “Profaneness is a brutal vice. He who indulges in it is no gentleman.”

John H. Groberg: “Stay out of the gutter in your conversation. Foul talk defiles the man who speaks it.”

Apart from anything else, the thing that nobody could have possibly missed when observing US politics is Trump’s increasingly primitive vulgarity. Here is a short list of notable quotes that I found [there are surely many more]:

• September 2005: “I don’t even wait. And when you’re a star, they let you do it. You can do anything. Grab ’em by the pussy. You can do anything.” (In a private conversation with Billy Bush on an “Access Hollywood” bus).
• August 7, 2015: “You could see there was blood coming out of her eyes, blood coming out of her wherever.” (Referring to Megyn Kelly after a primary debate).
• November 12, 2015: “I would bomb the hell out of them. I’d blow up every single inch; there would be nothing left.” (Regarding ISIS during a campaign rally in Fort Dodge, Iowa).
• November 13, 2015: “ISIS is making a tremendous amount of money because of the oil that they took. They have some in Syria, they have some in Iraq. I would knock the hell out of them, but I’d bomb the shit out of them.” (At a rally in Beaumont, Texas).
• September 22, 2017: “Wouldn’t you love to see one of these NFL owners, when somebody disrespects our flag, to say, ‘Get that son of a bitch off the field right now. Out! He’s fired. He’s fired!’” (At a rally in Huntsville, Alabama, referring to NFL players kneeling during the national anthem).
• January 11, 2018: “Why are we having all these people from shithole countries come here?” (During a bipartisan meeting on immigration, referring to Haiti, El Salvador, and African nations).
• Early 2024 (Reported July 2025): “With Putin I said, ‘If you go into Ukraine, I’m going to bomb the shit out of Moscow. I’m telling you I have no choice.'” (At a private fundraiser, recounting a past warning he claimed to have given to Vladimir Putin).
• June 24, 2025: “We basically have two countries that have been fighting so long and so hard that they don’t know what the fuck they’re doing.” (To reporters at the White House before boarding Marine One, referring to the conflict between Iran and Israel).
• November 14, 2025: “Quiet, piggy.” (To Bloomberg’s Catherine Lucey on Air Force One when she asked about the Epstein files).
• May 22, 2025: “You are a terrible reporter. No. 1, you don’t have what it takes to be a reporter. You are not smart enough… And you are a disgrace. No more questions from you.” (To NBC’s Peter Alexander in the Oval Office).
• November 18, 2025: “They’re all guilty. Every one of them. We’re going to get them. These people are scum, they’re absolute scum.” (Referring to the “Deep State” and political investigators during a televised address).
• November 26, 2025: “The writer of the story, Katie Rogers… is a third-rate reporter who is ugly, both inside and out.” (Posted to Truth Social regarding a New York Times article about his health).
• February 5, 2026: “I had to win it. I needed it for my own ego… Beating these lunatics was incredible.” (Recalling the 2024 election during a prayer breakfast event).
• April 5, 2026: “Tuesday will be Power Plant Day, and Bridge Day, all wrapped up in one, in Iran. There will be nothing like it!!! Open the Fuckin’ Strait, you crazy bastards, or you’ll be living in Hell — JUST WATCH! Praise be to Allah.” (Posted to Truth Social as an ultimatum regarding the Iranian blockade of the Strait of Hormuz).
• April 6, 2026: “I’m telling you, I’m being fucking straight with you—we aren’t playing games anymore. They open it or we level it. It’s very simple.” (In a follow-up clarification to reporters regarding his social media post and the Tuesday deadline).

This sort of language from a US persident is unprescedendted and it impacts significantly on the quality of the political (and other) discourse across the globe. But it also begs a worrying question: Is Trump’s increasingly aggressive and profane rhetoric a sign of his cognitive decline? The shift from his earlier “Trumpisms” to the stark, expletive-laden ultimatums of 2026 – such as the “Open the Fuckin’ Strait” post – suggests to me a breakdown in impulse control that is a hallmark of deteriorating executive function.

As Trump pivots from policy debate to raw vitriol, labelling opponents as “scum” and “crazy bastards,” the language appears less like strategic provocation and resembles the ramblings of a man losing his grip on reality. Political figures across the spectrum have characterized these outbursts as the ravings of a dangerous and mentally unstable person, sparking louder and louder calls for the 25th Amendment.