Former Trump administration official Miles Taylor stated this week that the bigger issue with President Donald Trump is not the public speculation about dementia. The real concern is whether anyone around him is willing or able to challenge his decisions when he goes off track.
In a column published by The i Paper, Taylor argued that the debate over Trump’s mental fitness overlooks a more pressing problem within the White House.
Taylor, who served as chief of staff at the Department of Homeland Security during Trump’s first term, wrote, “The question was never simply, is he sharp? It was always, can the system around him absorb his worst impulses?” He added, “In his first term, it just barely could. In his second, it cannot. That’s the real story, and it’s far more alarming than any cognitive decline narrative.”
In the same piece, Taylor described “an undisciplined, irascible, and impulsive man in the Oval Office” who is now “surrounded by people who are hyping those characteristics rather than helping him exercise any semblance of self-control.”
He argued that the presidency tests not only the person in office but also whether aides are ready to stop mistakes before they escalate into national security or governance crises.
Trump: You see this pen right here? This pen is very inexpensive. But it writes well. I like it. Sharpie. I came here. They had $1,000 pens. You hand out pens. You hand them to people. 30, 40 people. They were $1,000 a piece. Beautiful pen, ball point. I hand out to kids that… pic.twitter.com/mrEXypiA0o
— Acyn (@Acyn) March 26, 2026
Taylor based that argument on his own experience in government. He recalled a 2018 discussion about a Category 5 hurricane, noting that Trump suddenly veered off into a tangent about helicopters having “too many parts.”
Taylor said moments like that were concerning, but he insisted the more important question was whether staff members were still willing to redirect the President, correct him directly, and keep policy decisions on track.
“I’m not arguing that Trump has dementia, or that any specific diagnosis applies,” Taylor wrote, adding that the issue is more of the president’s issue as he sees it is “partly medical but also partly structural.”
His latest criticism comes from one of the best-known Trump administration defectors. Taylor was the anonymous author of the 2018 New York Times opinion piece “I Am Part of the Resistance Inside the Trump Administration,” and he later revealed himself as the writer of the book “A Warning,” which detailed internal efforts by officials to manage Trump’s behavior from within the government.
Trump: “A reporter said it’s terrible that I talked that way about somebody with mental disability. I said, I have no problem with it. But I don’t want a person with mental disability to be my president.” pic.twitter.com/bBDzLk1x3f
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) March 26, 2026
Taylor has remained one of Trump’s most vocal former aides, and their relationship has grown more hostile. In April 2025, Trump ordered investigations into Taylor and former cybersecurity official Chris Krebs, revoked their security clearances, and accused them of acting against his administration. Taylor responded with a legal complaint that labeled the move as retaliation for dissent.
The column comes as scrutiny of Presidents’ age and fitness continues to be a regular topic in American politics. Trump, 79, has rejected past reports about his health and previously claimed he had “aced” a cognitive exam, while allies have dismissed criticism of his public performances and speaking style.
Taylor argued that the country is asking the wrong question if the discussion ends with whether Trump seems slowed down. He pointed out that a president’s mistakes become more dangerous when those around him stop functioning as a brake. In Taylor’s view, that reflects the real change between Trump’s first term and his return to office.
