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Donald Trump has watched a video clip of the attempt on his life at a Pennsylvania rally “over and over again,” leading to fears that he may be suffering from PTSD, according to a report.
The former president has viewed the “seven-second” clip, in which his right ear was grazed with a bullet, multiple times – an act which has not helped a reported mental spiral brought on by Joe Biden’s decision to drop out of the 2024 race.
“He’s been watching that seven-second clip of how close he was to getting shot right in the head—over and over and over again,” the Republican close to the campaign told Vanity Fair. “He may actually legit have PTSD.”
A campaign official confirmed that the shooting continues to weigh on Trump, with an official adding: “he’s been through a lot.”
The Independent has reached out to the Trump campaign for comment on the claims made by the sources about the former president’s behavior.
Concerns about Trump’s mental wellbeing come as donors and allies have urged him to stay on message during his rallies, and stay away from conspiracy theories that stunt his ability to tackle the wave of momentum of Kamala Harris’ campaign.
The Republican close to the Trump campaign told Vanity Fair that the former president’s recent run of appearances and subsequent gaffes felt like he was “choosing to lose.”
Allies of Trump see his conspiratorial messages and insults based on race as anything but productive. They want him to focus his attacks on policy issues, such as immigration and the economy, rather than personal attacks against Harris.
During a bizarre and combative interview with the National Association of Black Journalists in Chicago, the former president accused Harris of hiding her racial identity, prompting fierce backlash.
At a press conference at Mar-a-Lago, the purpose of which was unclear, Trump also baselessly claimed that his crowd during his rally ahead of the January 6, 2021 insurrection was comparable to that of Martin Luther King Jr’s during the March on Washington in 1963, drawing consternation online.
The former president has begun to share rightwing conspiracy theories, such as that “nobody” attended Harris’ recent rally in Michigan, despite videos and photos showing thousands of people at a Detroit airport.
Former Republican House Speaker Kevin McCarthy appeared on Fox this week, arguing that Trump must “Stop questioning the size of her crowds and start questioning her position.”
One source told CNN that Trump is “in a spiral” and that he needs to “snap out of it.”
