Overview
- Miles Taylor, whose i Paper column published Thursday, warns that President Trump shows worsening cognitive signs and that the system around him no longer restrains risky choices.
- Taylor says loyalists now amplify the president’s instincts, and he cites New York Times reporting that aides avoid contradicting his claim that the Iran operation is a complete success.
- He recounts a 2018 Oval Office briefing on a Category 5 hurricane where Trump drifted into talk about helicopter parts and mused that supporters should ride out the storm before staff steered him to urge evacuations.
- He describes briefing workarounds from Trump’s first term, including one-page summaries, picture-heavy materials, and reports of ultra-short video briefings, arguing those adaptations have replaced deeper debate.
- He warns that weaker internal checks can carry real costs, pointing to rising oil prices, nervous allies, and greater risk of missteps on war and peace if senior staff will not challenge the president.