Trump and Kennedy: US leaders' health goes viral
A video of Trump dozing off and a tremulous Kennedy reignites the debate over the age and health of America's leaders.
English · Original discussion in Spanish · Published
Trump and Kennedy's viral video reopens concerns about their health
The scene lasts a few seconds: Donald Trump with his head down, eyes closed, while beside him Robert F. Kennedy Jr. appears to lose control of his facial muscles. The video, spread on YouTube, already has hundreds of comments and nicknames that sum up public perception: "Sleepy" for the president, "Shaky" for the Health Secretary. The official line from Trump's supporters is that he isn't sleeping, but rather "resting his eyes and thinking." The nuance convinces no one.
What's behind the image?
No diagnosis is possible from a video, but there are facts. Kennedy suffers from spasmodic dysphonia, a voice disorder that has been known about for years and explains part of his way of speaking. Trump is 80 years old, an age at which any gesture becomes news. Medical commentary on social media mixes legitimate concern with easy jokes, and news coverage itself doesn't help: when Trump's predecessor showed signs of decline, criticizing him on television was labeled "ageism." Now, the same phenomenon is consumed in meme format.
The Spanish angle
Amid the mockery, someone asks: what about Pedro Sánchez? The most sensible answer comes as an afterthought: if only this were Spain's biggest problem. But the detour into local politics has its logic: the health of those in power is one of the worst-handled taboos in all democracies. The difference is that in the US it's aired with memes, while in Spain it's met with administrative silence.
If the trend continues, the coming months will bring more viral videos than official clarifications. But beware: the definitive diagnosis won't come from YouTube commentators. It will come from the ballot box.
The scene lasts a few seconds: Donald Trump with his head down, eyes closed, while beside him Robert F. Kennedy Jr. appears to lose control of his facial muscles. The video, spread on YouTube, already has hundreds of comments and nicknames that sum up public perception: "Sleepy" for the president, "Shaky" for the Health Secretary. The official line from Trump's supporters is that he isn't sleeping, but rather "resting his eyes and thinking." The nuance convinces no one.
What's behind the image?
No diagnosis is possible from a video, but there are facts. Kennedy suffers from spasmodic dysphonia, a voice disorder that has been known about for years and explains part of his way of speaking. Trump is 80 years old, an age at which any gesture becomes news. Medical commentary on social media mixes legitimate concern with easy jokes, and news coverage itself doesn't help: when Trump's predecessor showed signs of decline, criticizing him on television was labeled "ageism." Now, the same phenomenon is consumed in meme format.
The Spanish angle
Amid the mockery, someone asks: what about Pedro Sánchez? The most sensible answer comes as an afterthought: if only this were Spain's biggest problem. But the detour into local politics has its logic: the health of those in power is one of the worst-handled taboos in all democracies. The difference is that in the US it's aired with memes, while in Spain it's met with administrative silence.
If the trend continues, the coming months will bring more viral videos than official clarifications. But beware: the definitive diagnosis won't come from YouTube commentators. It will come from the ballot box.
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Summary of a discussion on Burbuja.info - Foro de economía, actualidad y política., translated from Spanish and reviewed before publication. Read the full discussion (25 replies).
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