'Late stage cognitive decline': Trump mocked as author claims ex-prez thought he had 'foreign policy powers' even after leaving office

WASHINGTON, DC: Donald Trump apparently believed that he still possessed "foreign policy powers" after leaving the Oval Office, according to author Ramin Setoodeh, who interviewed the former president for his new book on 'The Apprentice'.

Setoodeh made the baffling remark during his interview on CNN's 'The Source' on Tuesday, June 18, where he shared the experience of sitting down with the 45th president at lengthto discuss the reality show for the book 'Apprentice in Wonderland: How Donald Trump and Mark Burnett Took America Through the Looking Glass'.

According to the author, Trump's demeanor shifted from happy when discussing the NBC show to more somber when the conversation turned to the White House.

Trump turned 'resentful' while discussing White House days

"And then he would talk about what he did at the White House, and he would become gloomy, and resentful, and unhappy, and refer to Afghanistan and Joe Biden. But he also seemed to think that he still had some foreign policy powers," Setoodeh said to host Kaitlin Collins, according to The Hill.

"And there was one day, where he told me he needed to go upstairs to deal with Afghanistan, even though he clearly didn't," he added, stating the former president referred to the country as "the Afganistan."

Setoodeh, the co-editor-in-chief for Variety, conducted six interviews with the real estate mogul for the book that was released on June 18.

Earlier in the interview, the author noted that Trump was "deflated" and "conflicted" in all six meetings, which started in May 2021, months after his departure from the White House.

Setoodeh recalled that the ex-president was angry about how the press treated him and continued believing he won the 2020 election.

"He was happiest when he talked to me about hosting 'The Apprentice', the author said. "It was the thing that brought him the most joy. We watched clips of the show together. We watched the theme song. And he really lit up."

Trump campaign communications director Steven Cheung blasted Setoodeh's comments, stating the writer had "chosen to allow Trump Derangement Syndrome to rot his brain like so many other losers whose entire existence revolves around President Trump," despite recognizing the cultural impact of 'The Apprentice' and the former president's role in changing the entertainment landscape.

Internet mocks Trump over author's remarks on his 'foreign policy powers'

Netizens ridiculed Trump as Setoodeh said the ex-president seemingly believed that he still had "foreign policy powers" after his presidential tenure.

One user called Trump's belief "Augmented Imaginary." Another said, "The convicted Felon has always been delusional."

"LOL, the apprentice were his glory days. Even that had to be heavily edited so he appeared 'competent,'" quipped a third user.

A fourth response read, "This is why he kept documents. He feels the need to still think he is president and look at the things he never cared to read when he was president."

Another person wrote, "Not surprising that it is said that he still believe he is the president. His set ups make it seems that way. The stages graced with the flags & podiums, the way he travels & rallies across the countries. The news cycles exposures as well. He behaves, he is the centre of it."

"Anyone who has shepherded a parent thru dementia knows exactly how strange it was. We used to call it 'getting in the boat' because you just had to go along with whatever impossibilities emerged from their mental state," someone else chimed in.

An individual said, "This kind of fantasizing, where a period in the past feels as if it’s the present day is—once again—something that happens in late stage cognitive decline. We can guess that this scenario is common for him. But even if it’s new behavior, it still signifies later stage decline."

This article contains remarks made on the Internet by individual people and organizations. MEAWW cannot confirm them independently and does not support claims or opinions being made online.