Overview
- Steve Schmidt published sharp Substack commentary that described President Trump as “hated and alone” at 80 and used the phrase “human malignancy” to describe his political effect.
- Schmidt targeted the White House UFC-style 'Octagon' birthday spectacle as a symbol of institutional degradation and as part of his case that presidential norms have been eroded.
- He alleged signs of physical and mental decline in Trump, pointing to slurred speech, trouble walking and sleeping in meetings, while those claims are presented as opinion rather than medical proof.
- Schmidt linked Trump’s presidency to policy harms including high inflation and a lost Iran war and urged voters to remove Trump-aligned officials from office in upcoming elections.
- Schmidt is a former GOP strategist and co-founder of The Lincoln Project who became a Democrat, and his remarks appeared as opinion pieces on Substack and in outlets such as Alternet rather than as independent medical or legal findings.