The real reason Donald Trump keeps burying himself with these disastrous press briefings

| 6:10 pm EDT April 19, 2020
Dear Palmer Report readers,

We all understand what a dark era we're heading into. Journalists will be prosecuted. Major media outlets are caving to Trump already. Even the internet itself and publishing platforms may be at risk. Advertising networks can't be counted on. But Palmer Report is nonetheless going to lead the fight, because someone has to.

In that regard we're looking to start funding our 2025 operating expenses now, so we can keep publishing no matter what happens or how dark things get. We've launched a reader supported fund, and we've already raised $3360 and counting. I'm asking you to contribute if you can, because the stakes are just so high. You can contribute here. Thank you in advance.
Sincerely,
Bill Palmer
Palmer Report

Donald Trump’s declining approval numbers make clear that a growing majority of Americans blame him for this coronavirus mess. This means his daily coronavirus press briefings aren’t helping his cause, and are instead hurting him. So why’s he really doing this?

Yes, there is the base level argument that Donald Trump is doing these press briefings simply because he enjoys them, at a time when he can’t golf or hold rallies. But Trump is currently on track to lose the election, and if he does, he’ll go to prison for the rest of his life. He’s not even close to being in a position where he can afford to indulge himself like this. He must not understand the situation he’s in. He must think his approval numbers are fine and his press briefings are working. This means his closest handlers must be shielding him from the real numbers. But why?

Each day we see the same pattern. Trump begins his briefings in a lethargic and confused state. He’s barely there, physically or cognitively. But by about halfway through the briefing, the contentious back and forth seems to awaken him. We see him gradually begin to morph from half comatose, to something resembling his old self. He still comes off as cognitively compromised the entire time, but he’s fully awake, alert, combative.

Considering that Trump starts every one of his briefings in a half comatose state, we have to conclude he spends most of his day in that state. This is a guy who’s just about gone, in terms of cognitive decline – yet his handlers can see that whenever they send him out on stage, he comes back to life a bit.

Trump’s handlers know that these briefings are pushing his approval numbers further downward, and are increasing his odds of losing the election and ending up in prison. But that’s a long term problem. If he’s as far gone cognitively as all indications suggest he is, then they’re surely sending him out on stage in an effort to keep him from fully and permanently slipping into the cognitive abyss.

Donald Trump’s people are trying to hide the fact that he’s too far gone cognitively to still be in office. They’re trying to delay the inevitable point where he slips so far into the abyss, the average American can see that there’s almost nothing left of him. As with any failing regime, the Trump regime is just trying to get through the day. What makes this different is that Donald Trump is too far gone to know what day it even is.

Dear Palmer Report readers,

We all understand what a dark era we're heading into. Journalists will be prosecuted. Major media outlets are caving to Trump already. Even the internet itself and publishing platforms may be at risk. Advertising networks can't be counted on. But Palmer Report is nonetheless going to lead the fight, because someone has to.

In that regard we're looking to start funding our 2025 operating expenses now, so we can keep publishing no matter what happens or how dark things get. We've launched a reader supported fund, and we've already raised $3360 and counting. I'm asking you to contribute if you can, because the stakes are just so high. You can contribute here. Thank you in advance.
Sincerely,
Bill Palmer
Palmer Report