Is Trump OK? Unhinged reaction to rise of Harris worries supporters

In a similar vein, the former president sometimes veers off the written script to have an open debate with himself about how to pronounce names, whether Kamala or the first name of the CNN presenter Dana Bash at a recent rally.

At a rally in Pennsylvania a week ago, Trump went as far as rambling on about rambling.

Leading Republicans are similarly disturbed. Senator Lindsey Graham pleaded with Trump to stay focused on the issues that play best for the former president, such as the economy.

In just a few months, concern about fitness for office has shifted from Biden to Trump, who is now the oldest US presidential candidate in history.