Donald Trump is being dragged on Twitter after he appeared to not know many of the words to the National Anthem during his appearance at the College Football Playoff National Championship Game between Alabama and Georgia.
Tweeters also debated whether Trump’s fumble might be a sign of forgetfulness – and in turn, a sign that the 71-year-old might be developing dementia.
The public debate about Trump’s mental health has intensified in the face of author Michael Wolff’s assertion that the President is increasingly forgetful.
The Anthem was performed by the Zac Brown Band at Monday night’s game. Trump placed his right hand over his heart and he was flanked by military members who saluted.
He appears to do pretty well in the beginning, clearly mouthing along to ‘say can you see, by the dawn’s early light…proudly we hailed’.
But then his mouth appears to go awry. He utters something at ‘gleaming’ and appears to correctly mouth ‘stripes and bright stars’.
Otherwise, he either keeps his mouth shut or appears to utter gibberish.
President 45 also appears to give a quick side eye to the camera trained directly on him and at another point pats his chest while remaining silent.
The former businessman gets back on track with ‘red glare, The bombs bursting in air’. While singing this phrase, his eyes go wide for reasons unknown.
Trump was flanked by military members during the game between the Bulldogs and the Crimson Tide
At one point (not pictured) Trump appeared to give side eye to the camera that was trained directly on him for the duration of the Anthem
He sings along to ‘gave proof through the night’ before appearing to veer off again.
On ‘wave,’ when the Anthem crescendos before its last line and people generally start clapping, Trump gives an awkward smile.
He then states ‘For the land of the free, and the home of the brave’ – but appears to preemptively say ‘brave’.
Twitter was quick to take Trump – who has been a vocal critic of football players who do not stand for the National Anthem – to task for appearing to mumble his way through it.
Kasey Dixon wrote: ‘Does @realDonaldTrump even know the words of the Star Spangled Banner? Sure doesn’t look like it…’
puppits said: ‘Thought Trump looked ok until the camera close-up showed he clearly didn’t know the words to the Star Spangled Banner’
Drew Gibson observed: ‘When the camera panned to [Trump] he just had that mouth agape, thousand-yard stare going.’
Inderia Salter wistfully asked: ‘Where is Obama?’
But tweeters also wondered whether Trump’s botched Anthem singalong was more a sign of forgetfulness and early dementia.
Robert Murphy observed: ‘I do not think that Pres Trump not knowing the words to the #NationalAnthem is a sign that he is unpatriotic. I think it is a sign that he has dementia, and has forgotten the words to a song that he knew most of his life.’