Trump can barely read, seriously, this is very disturbing (video)

[KelleyKramer]

I have suspected for almost a year that Trump had major problems reading, and came to believe he is what I call functionally illiterate.

This is a pretty good video report, in the second half there is footage from a court proceeding and it looks pretty clear Trump is unable to read a document. It looks like he is worse than I thought, Trump can barely read at all.

Think about that.

We have a President of the United States who is signing executive orders left and right, and it is very likely that he literally cannot read what he is signing


Check it out the report here --

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.

[rainbow4321]

1. Yup...that's why I laugh when they say he gets/reads daily briefings

Sure he does.

They will never admit that the briefings really get handed to Bannon and/or Kushner because drumf wouldn't be able to make heads/tails out of the information. Remember how he asked everything to be put in "bullet" form so he could read basically the cliff note versions?

No way in hell could he understand anything given to him. I would assume one would need at least a basic understanding of world politics/military/dynamics, etc...

Earlier this week there was a tweet that said the UK PM had to explain the Geneva Convention to him during a pre-visit telephone call.

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2017/jan/29/merkel-explains-geneva-refugee-convention-to-trump-in-phone-call

[KelleyKramer]

3. Yes, exactly, and that is the scarey part

Who is in control of writing the executive orders

[bdamomma]

25. steve bannon

of course.

[workinclasszero]

30. President Bannon

Fuhrer Bannon, I should say for accuracy.

[Myrddin]

45. Interesting last paragraph in your link

Australia’s foreign affairs minister, Julie Bishop, said... She said: “We share a common view on many issues so we will continue to work very closely with the Trump administration,” adding: “The very best days of the Australia-US relationship lie ahead.”

Irrelevant to the OP, I know, but I wonder if Julie Bishop still stands by her statement?

[tblue37]

53. I believe it was Angela Merkel, not UK PM May, who explained the Geneva Convention

to him in a phone call (re: signatories' responsibilities toward refugees) after the anti-Muslim EO was issued last weekend.

[Rhiannon12866]

2. Yikes! That would sure explain a lot!

They were saying tonight on MSNBC that Trump doesn't read or listen to anyone telling him anything, that he gets all his information from TV. A terrifying reality for a POTUS, but that makes perfect sense now!

[global1]

4. We Jus Got To Get Him To Watch The Right Programs....

Like Rachel and Lawrence. Reruns of the West Wing. The movie Dave. And keep him away from Veep.

[Rhiannon12866]

7. A lot of the guests on MSNBC make a point of saying things as if he's watching.

If we could just "rig" his TeeVee so he tunes into Rachel and Lawrence rather than FOX News he might actually learn something. You would think he'd be flattered since they talk about him so much and even say things for his benefit - just in case! And appealing to his vanity, which seems to sum up the guy, would certainly get his attention. As long as they didn't use too many big words...

[bdamomma]

26. I think Lawrence O'Donnell

has already said tRump doesn't like him. What an idiot he is really mentally ill.

[lastlib]

16. Can't read anything longer than 140 characters.....

[workinclasszero]

31. Bingo

[OKNancy]

5. He's been reading teleprompters

He's not eloquent, but he has read the teleprompters.
He is not illiterate. He ignorant and hateful and awful and lazy.

[KelleyKramer]

9. No, he can't do a teleprompter speech

Last year when Trump did a couple of policy speeches, they were teleprompter and that's when I figured out he can barely read

How many times have you heard a news report that said.. Trump made a speech and went off script

That's all Trump is, he is always 'off script' because he is not capable of following a telepromper speech

Trump can barely read written words

[OKNancy]

11. yes he can

He did go off script, but he also read the teleprompter.
Just because Pakman has a theory doesn't make it true. He goes overboard a lot IMO

[Dave Starsky]

28. He may be using an earpiece.

That would explain the odd cadence he has whenever he is reciting prepared material.

Dude hosted a TV show for years. They use those earpieces all the time.

[jodymarie aimee]

33. I don't know what IMO means

but Pakman is a genius and does not treck in fake news. We are darn lucky to have him.

[yodermon]

36. "in my opinion" n/t

[snooper2]

38. He reads at like a 3rd or 4th grade level

There is a difference....

The man is a fucking idiot

[RandiFan1290]

19. Leave trump alone!!!

[jeanmarc]

6. That's okay, Bannon can read everything for him

And Bannon would NEVER deviate from the script of what he's reading to our young 70 year old President.

[mnhtnbb]

8. Frightening. Really frightening.

But, as the one guy says at the end of the interview, there are ways around not being able to read well. The lack of intellectual curiosity is what is
most disturbing. And I think it also explains his disinterest in science.

[oberliner]

10. How does "turkey legs" make sense the other way?

That SNL writer comes off as a jackass.

[KittyWampus]

34. "Turkey leg?" As a line involves a little acting. The guy explained it

"Hey, let's go get some turkey legs".

Not hard to grasp.

[oberliner]

37. Thats not what the guy said on the video

He said the line was: "Let's get out of here. Turkey legs?" - and that Trump read it as "Let's get out of here, Turkey legs" calling the person he was speaking to "turkey legs" as opposed to asking if the person he was with wanted to go get turkey legs.

It is idiotic the way the SNL writer intended it - definitely not a normal way of having a conversation. I can understand how a person would read it the wrong way as it is so awkwardly written.

In any case, the SNL person comes off as a jackass the way he tells the story.

[Cooley Hurd]

12. He's Chauncey Gardener except not innocent

[KelleyKramer]

13. Well, if you can"t read

the only thing left is the tube

[RandiFan1290]

14. Interesting to see the people on DU that try to defend him. nt

[Warren DeMontague]

23. If someone posts a video of the guy eating a big mac and says "Trump bites the heads off bats!"

it's not "defending" the guy to point out, well, that's actually a big mac.

Doesn't mean he doesn't do all sorts of other awful shit. And hey, maybe he's really illiterate, to boot.

But this video doesn't really make the case.

[KittyWampus]

35. I think it makes a pretty darned good case for Trump having the reading level of a 4th graders.

It would explain a lot. Which is a hallmark of a good working theory.

Or maybe he's dyslexic. When he was growing up, there wasn't learning strategy for that yet.

[Warren DeMontague]

39. Don't get me wrong, I think there are probably a bunch of things wrong with his head

[Blue_Roses]

46. It's not trying to defend him when we question

his ability to read.It's trying to make some sense out of his very bizarre behavior, because guess what? That bizarre behavior is affecting millions of lives and livelihoods. I'm all for rational explanations when dealing with this irrational bunch. It's necessary for survival right now -- mentally and physically.

[jaxind]

15. To Oberliner

The SNL writer is saying that the way turkey legs was supposed to come off was, as a separate question...Turkey Legs? As though he is suggesting for them to go out and eat some turkey legs after they leave the theme park. He wasn't supposed to read it as though he is referring to his daughter as "turkey legs."

[justiceischeap]

17. He's dyslexic. It was reported during the general election. nt

[Vinca]

18. Whoa! This is seriously disturbing.

And then you throw in his potpourri of psychiatric maladies . . .

[Ms. Toad]

20. This doesn't mesh terribly well,

with the times he's read from the teleprompter.

He's stiff at it - but not the kind of performance I would expect from someone who can't read (especially if, as reported, he's never read the script before).

[Ms. Toad]

21. The things that are pointed out as odd in the deposition are pretty standard.

She asked him to read a paragraph and explain his understanding of it. That request typically doesn't mean read out loud - as seems to be being suggested. The paraphrasing of it is close to what he was asked to do - tell her what he thinks it means.

I don't know whether he can comfortably read or not, but I don't see the deposition tapes as raising that question.

[Warren DeMontague]

22. I dunno.. Watching the deposition video it looks like he needs reading glasses to read the paperwork

which he doesn't have. And maybe he's being deliberately difficult about it as a legal strategy or just out of pure Trumpian dickishness.

This Pakman guy and his buddy look like they're maybe 25. I didn't understand, at that age, why my Dad would do that thing where he would hold the newspaper at full arms length away from his head and still struggle to read it, either.

[flygal]

42. but you NevER see him wearing reading glasses is their point.

And yes, this Pakman guy is cashing on Samantha Bee's report on this "Trump can't read" rumor she started as a joke.

[phylny]

43. Yes, but he didn't do what your father and most people do - he did not

move the paper farther away or squint his eyes (different than squinting when something is far away - this squinting is closing your lids a bit to try to read it).

[Warren DeMontague]

44. Fine. He's illiterate.

Really it wouldn't make the situation any worse than it already is, so fuck it, why not.

[GusBob]

24. He's over fifty years old, unless the print is huge he would need reading glasses correct?

Unless he wears bifocal contact lenses, monovision contact lenses, or has had monovision refractive surgery (my guess)

His malignant narcissism and vanity would probably preclude the use of glasses, in his mind makes him look weak

I don't think being able to read is the problem. It is comprehension or attention deficit disorder

[Blue_Roses]

48. Exactly...

his vanity won't allow him to wear glasses in public. ( I bet he wears them to read on the toilet)

And there is no doubt in my mind that he has undiagnosed ADHD. Yes, he's probably dyslexic too.

It explains a lot of his narcissistic personality.

Which circles back to: he's too vain and proud to seek an evaluation -- which could actually help him. ( and hopefully us too)

[LonePirate]

27. Luckily he was Valedictorian in his graduating class at the Sarah Palin Public Speaking School.

[Motley13]

29. he could be dyslexic

[Tommy_Carcetti]

32. He might just not like answering questions and being told what to do, so he plays dumb.

That would be beneath him.

No one tells the Donald what to do.

Although I will say his testimony really did remind me of this:

[struggle4progress]

40. Bigly unfair! Him readed all the every report on the Boewling Green Massacre

[LandrosT]

41. This is hardly surprising, honestly

We all know he has the attention span of a 5 year old. Actually, more like a 2 year old. And his ghostwriter claims he never saw a book at Trump's place.

[erpowers]

47. Are You Kidding Me?

So, it is possible that we have a President who either cannot read, or can barely read, or is too blind to read what people are putting in front of him. This is the stuff that makes he hope he only has dyslexia.

[Blue_Roses]

49. Wow...this makes a lot of sense

I'm sure he can read, but his vanity won't allow him to wear glasses in public. (probably uses them while on the toilet)

And there's no doubt he has undiagnosed ADHD---which usually goes hand-in-hand with dyslexia.

Also, explains his narcissistic behavior. Anybody who is familiar with ADHD or any other learning disabilities, know how this feels.

But, the main problem with all this, is it circles back to his vanity and pride. By not getting a proper diagnosis--which could make a big difference--it's almost impossible to see it get better.

[IcyPeas]

50. I demand to see his college transcripts!!!!!!!!!

[ecstatic]

51. He should be forced to read, aloud, a passage from the Constitution

Remember how he wouldn't let up on Obama's birth certificate? And the passage should be one chosen randomly by the interviewer. So either he'd be forced to memorize the entire document, or he would have to know how to read. Both good things.