Today’s post is not written by AI. This week, rather than spewing into the camera, I chose to write more detailed notes, and I’ve included them here.
Quick Update on ICE in Portland
Here in Portland, the President’s announcement of sending troops into Portland sparked conversations across the political spectrum. Here in Portland, it’s pretty clear that the majority of us, independent of our political leanings, agree on free speech and federalism. We agree on the right to protest peacefully. We agree that the local authorities, accountable to their communities, should handle assault and property crimes unless civil rights are violated. There was no need for federal law enforcement or a federalized Oregon National Guard to intimidate protesters.
Federal Judge Karin Immergut ruled against Trump’s troop deployment, despite his “war-ravaged” description of Portland. As my video last week showed, Portland isn’t “living in hell.” Consistent with my own findings, Immergut wrote that “The President’s determination was simply untethered to the facts.”
This isn’t partisan. Judge Immergut has been a registered Republican since 2003, appointed circuit judge by George W. Bush, and given a lifetime district judgeship by Trump himself in 2018. In fairness to the Judge, she’s also earned strong support from Democratic Senators Wyden and Merkley.
Today, I attended the District 1 town hall meeting in Beaverton, hosted by Congresswoman Suzanne Bonamici. It’s important to note that the ICE facility is in Bonamici’s district. Citizens packed a full house at today’s Town Hall voicing their concerns about the possibility of federal troops here in Portland.
No one in attendance raised their voices in support of the Trump administration’s threats.
Personal Reflections on Dementia
The post on this Substack that sparked the most offline conversations was about my dad’s final years with dementia.
I believe modern medicine has had the unexpected impact of unprecedented levels of dementia.
My dad had a heart condition, and a quadruple bypass surgery extended his life. However, his life after recovering from his surgery was one of cognitive decline. Medicine extended the life of his body, but not of his brain.
He likely had vascular dementia from heart disease, but his death certificate listed heart disease, not dementia. This under-reporting has skewed statistics massively.
A 2025 NIH-funded study from NYU, Johns Hopkins, and other institutions now reports that 42% of middle-aged adults will develop dementia.
This is as common as high blood pressure or high cholesterol, but we don’t talk about it the same way.
At a personal level, I worry my kidney treatment might similarly extend my life, leaving me vulnerable to dementia in my later years. I have a family history of dementia on both sides, and an APOE-4 gene.
Dementia is happening frequently, and it’s affecting the families of almost everyone I know. We just aren’t comfortable discussing it.
Lessons with Joe Biden
We all watched something happening with Joe Biden’s mental state during the end of his presidency. Whether it affected his decision-making was debatable, but it clearly impacted the performative aspects of the presidency.
Ezra Klein argued exactly this. He agreed with Biden’s policies but acknowledged that Biden’s inability to handle the performative requirements of the presidency should disqualify him from re-election.
Remember Dean Phillips? The one congressman willing to sound the alarm, who ran against Biden in the primaries. He wasn’t debating policy—just saying Biden was too old and wasn’t polling well despite shepherding the infrastructure bill, CHIPS Act, and Inflation Reduction Act. After Democrats lost, Phillips was vindicated personally, but he didn’t celebrate because of the party’s losses.
Remember Robert Hur? The district attorney handling Biden’s classified documents case. As a Republican, he chose not to prosecute because of Biden’s age, calling him a “sympathetic, well-meaning, elderly man with a poor memory.”
Initially, Hur’s statement was dismissed as a political hit job, but the released audio tapes of Biden’s interviews proved the merit of Hur’s assessment. He wouldn’t have won the case in front of a jury, and he needed a bold statement to justify dropping it while Trump’s documents case proceeded.
The Democratic party suffered from not trusting their instincts about the presidency’s reality.
We’re Here Now with Trump
I won’t argue about Trump’s overall intent. Despite many disagreements on his methods, I agree with elements of his base assertions. We all want more efficient government, lower healthcare costs with better outcomes, and reduced reliance on others for key manufacturing needs.
But solving these issues requires sophisticated management, leadership, decision-making, and communication across a complex ecosystem.
I understand a significant portion of the population—maybe a third—loves Trump. I loved my dad deeply toward the end of his life too. The question isn’t about love. It’s whether we wanted Dad controlling finances, driving, operating the stove, or running a country at that stage.
During Biden’s time, people in visible positions made their case.
The signs are there with Trump too. Less than a week ago, on September 30th, Rep. Madeleine Dean stated that Trump was “incoherent” when speaking to the country’s top generals and admirals at a meeting in Quantico, Virginia.
A week before that, his September 23rd UN speech was disrupted—Trump claimed by three “sinister events” including a frozen escalator, broken teleprompter, and quiet sound system. He acknowledged the teleprompter wasn’t working and spoke without it, delivering remarks rambling enough to prompt front-page coverage questioning his mental acuity.
Trump frequently boasts about passing the Montreal Cognitive Assessment—a basic screening test for dementia that involves simple tasks like drawing a clock. In April, the White House released a physical declaring him in “excellent health,” but we’ve seen this playbook before.
I know medical diagnosis isn’t for the general population, and these are private matters. But we should scrutinize whether our leaders’ presentation strengthens us or puts us at risk. Ezra Klein, Dean Phillips, and Robert Hur did the brave thing—they didn’t take the easy path. They spoke the truth.
We’re in the Trump era now. Who will come forward?
Personally, I think it’s time to invoke the 25th Amendment. Just as I have many issues with Trump, I also have many issues with positions that JD Vance has taken, too. However, at least JD Vance is of sound enough mind to do the job, even if that proves more effective and dangerous for the left.
I get that this won’t happen now. The first two impeachment attempts proved Republican congressmen will fall in line to win primaries. Our job as citizens is to appeal to the right instincts and establish objective standards of mental acuity for the presidency.
The Problem with Google
Too many Americans have stopped thinking for ourselves. We accept CNN or Fox News and social media feeds that reinforce one-sided opinions. What’s happening with Trump (and happened with Biden) is apparent to anyone who’s experienced dementia in their families. Yet we rely on narratives.
AI could have been the savior here—objectively analyzing data.
But fearing political blowback, Google Search AI has punted. The Verge documented Google Search AI’s omission of Trump and dementia from AI Overviews. Other publications picked it up, too.
Watch what happens: Google Search AI provides a balanced overview on Joe Biden.
It summarizes historical figures like Ronald Reagan, later diagnosed with Alzheimer’s.
But for Donald Trump? No AI overview. Just search results.
Google has the data. Digging into Google Gemini reveals what Search AI won’t: signs of decline, White House counterstatements, ethical considerations, and this conclusion:
“In summary, there is no confirmed medical diagnosis of dementia or cognitive impairment for Donald Trump. However, his public behavior and speech have led several independent mental health experts to raise concerns and suggest he exhibits signs consistent with cognitive decline that warrant a more comprehensive medical evaluation. These claims are countered by the official medical reports released by the White House.”
What would be wrong with Google Search AI providing this summary?
Google Gemini offered an answer citing political sensitivity:
“News reports have noted that Google’s AI Overview has explicitly refused to generate a summary for some searches concerning the mental acuity of one political figure while providing a cautious summary for a similar query about another. This suggests a specific, highly sensitive filter is applied to certain individuals or controversial topics to avoid political backlash or being forced to take a position.”
The Impact
The Democratic party still suffers from what Jake Tapper and Alex Thompson called Original Sin. But this wasn’t just about losing an election—history will show how it enabled a presidential term where legal, judicial, and Constitutional violations became normalized.
Republicans would be wise to recognize Trump’s very low approval numbers and that freedoms are good for popularity. Why do you think the NFL chose Bad Bunny for the Super Bowl halftime show in four months? Supporting diversity and international appeal is good for business. Imagine that.
My point is simple: highlight what most Americans agree on.
