There are presidential speeches about energy policy and there are presidential speeches about energy policy that produce HuffPost headlines reading “Critics Say Trump Is ‘Sundowning’ After Bizarre Rant About Wind Energy,” which is the headline that exists at the intersection of a genuine concern about a president’s cognitive status, a long-running Trump rhetorical tradition of extended wind energy monologues, and the specific political dynamic where the same behavior is evidence of decline to critics and evidence of authenticity to supporters.
Trump’s wind energy speeches are a recurring feature of his rally and press conference catalog, dating from his first term and continuing through his second. He has described wind turbines as killing birds, as being visible from the ocean, as being dangerous to property values, and as being an unreliable source of power. His wind monologues have prompted fact-checkers, energy analysts, and ornithologists to respond with varying degrees of patience. The speech confirmed today by HuffPost’s front page is described as a “rant” that critics are characterizing as “sundowning,” which is a term for the late-day cognitive confusion sometimes associated with dementia.
Trump’s supporters have historically described his rally-style digressions as evidence of an unscripted authenticity that scripted politicians lack, which is the interpretation that produces identical footage being described as either “sundowning” or “telling it like it is” depending on which television channel the viewer watches first. His critics have applied “sundowning” to various speeches throughout his second term. His doctors have not confirmed a diagnosis. His schedule this week includes tariff announcements, an Axios interview about a massive Iran attack, a Truth Social post that blindsided the Saudis, and a wind energy rant that critics are describing as a symptom.
The wind turbines are not generating power during this news cycle, which is the argument Trump has been making about them for nine years.
When a presidential wind energy speech produces a headline about cognitive decline and a rebuttal about authentic communication, and both use the same footage, what exactly is the news reporting on?
Sources
HuffPost: Critics Say Trump Is ‘Sundowning’ After Bonkers Rant About Wind Energy
BBC: How Trump’s loathing for wind turbines started with a Scottish court battle
