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Trump, 80, relies on detailed notecard to get through press conference as dementia fears rise

The cards were filled with detailed information, including pictures, names, and personal details of external participants

[Trump at the Oval Office]

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During an event at the Oval Office on Monday, photographers captured the presidents hands as he held a card with detailed information

President Donald Trump was caught using cards detailing his Oval Office guests, a practice similar to what earned former President Joe Biden backlash from conservative outlets.

During an event at the Oval Office on Monday, outlets photographed the presidents hands as he held a card with detailed information, including pictures, names, and personal details of external participants.

Eagle-eyed social media users were quick to note his visual aids, with many questioning the 80-year-old presidents ability to memorize guests.

Dementia advancing hurry up father time, one user wrote on X.

So he needed a flashcard to remember who he was appearing with for a photo op? another perplexed user questioned. This would get breathless 24/7 coverage on Fox if it had been Biden.

This was a multi-day story across all media outlets any time Joe Biden needed to use a notecard during a public event, a third user opined.

The cards the president used on Monday were strikingly similar to those former President Biden was called out for using last year. According to the New York Post, Biden was spotted holding detailed hand-sized note cards with information on politicians and other public figures.

[President Donald Trump looks on as as he meets with lifeguard Ryder Williams in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, DC, on August 17, 2026. ]

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Both Biden and Trump are two of the oldest men to be U.S. presidents(Image: AFP via Getty Images)

The note cards included pictures and details about several high-profile figures, including former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, actor Denzel Washington, and Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin. It is unclear, however, if the former president relied on the note cards during public events.

Both Biden and Trump are two of the oldest men to be U.S. presidents. At 78, Trump became the oldest person ever to be sworn into office. Meanwhile, Biden reached 82 near the end of his term, making him the oldest serving president in U.S. history by age-in-office.

Trumps health has been a major topic of discussion throughout his second term in office. In fact, recent revelations about the presidents health came from the book Regime Change by New York Times reporters Maggie Haberman and Jonathan Swan, who provided behind-the-scenes details about Trumps time in the White House.

According to Haberman and Swan, during his first year back in office, the president was almost entirely housebound. Not only would he mostly shift between his comfort zones, the White House or one of his clubs, but he also reportedly told his staff that after the 2024 election, he was done with rallies, done with campaigning.

The book notes that while the president had grown increasingly cautious about his safety and where he appeared after his two assassination attempts, there was another, perhaps more emotional reason, for his sudden interest in remaining inside.

[President Donald Trump speaks as he meets with lifeguard Ryder Williams in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, DC, on August 17, 2026. ]

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Trumps health has been a major topic of discussion throughout his second term in office(Image: AFP via Getty Images)

He had spent four years of the Biden presidency mocking his successors age and clearly diminished stamina, Haberman and Swan wrote. But the fact that Trump had followed Biden by becoming the oldest man ever sworn into the office of the president did not mean he felt compelled to provide frequent health updates of his own. That he had aged since he last lived in the White House was obvious.

Staff grew concerned about the president for multiple reasons. For one, not only would they see his constant bruising which the White House first attributed to handshaking and an aspirin regimen and to his bouts of drowsiness in mid-afternoon meetings, but also because of his apparent mild hearing loss.

Haberman and Swan note that the president often asked to repeat questions from reporters that they had just asked, cupping his hand behind his ears to ensure he would hear what was being said. Interestingly, the meetings with world leaders started being held at the Oval Office, rather than the East Room, in part because the acoustics were better, and he didnt have to stand for an hour.

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