Paul Krugman: We have a president who is suffering a real detachment from reality
I had never heard the term “sundowning” before it happened to my own father, yet it’s a fairly common syndrome. In his last few months my father remained lucid and rational — remained himself — during daylight hours. Once the sun went down he deteriorated, becoming confused, paranoid and aggressive.
After reading the letter that Trump just sent to the prime minister of Norway there should be no doubt that we have a president who is suffering a real detachment from reality.
In fact, Trump is so deeply unwell that it’s time to stop blaming him for all the terrible things he’s doing. He is what he is.
Responsibility for the catastrophe overtaking America now rests with his enablers — people who have to know that he’s a sick man but continue to support his depredations.
Cowardly Republicans in Congress, who are still sustaining Trump even though many of them – perhaps most of them – are privately appalled by his behavior?
It would take just eight of these people to switch sides and caucus with the Democrats to end G.O.P. control of Congress and eliminate much of Trump’s power.
Many of Trump’s enablers aren’t fanatics, just amoral opportunists.
Scott Bessent, the Treasury Secretary, clearly understands how destructive Trump’s actions are, evidenced by the fact that he has at times tried to tone them down. But for some inexplicable reason, Bessent has decided to sell his soul to Trump.
How did a great, sophisticated nation, one of the world’s longest-standing republics, end up so fragile that it can be undone by one man’s dementia?
Paul Krugman 20 January 2026
Trumps tullar och the Supreme Court; Wall Street Journal editorial
https://englundmacro.blogspot.com/2026/01/trumps-tullar-och-supreme-court-wall.html
Bessent
https://englundmacro.blogspot.com/2025/06/bessent.html
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