President Donald Trump, 80, has renewed concerns about his cognitive health after a bizarre video showed him wandering across the White House helipad, waving and saluting at no one.

The footage, captured as Trump prepared to depart on Marine One, shows the president staring into empty space and appearing to interact with someone who is not there. When the camera zooms out, it becomes clear that he is engaging with empty space. The exchange with no visible audience lasted about 30 seconds.

The unusual moment spread quickly across social media, with many users questioning the president's behavior and asking whether he was having hallucinations.

In a second video, recorded before he waved and interacted with empty space, Trump is seen walking and repeatedly tapping his right leg in an odd manner. He salutes the military personnel before entering the helicopter.

Political commentator Brian Krassenstein was among those questioning the president's behavior.

"I now have absolutely no doubt that Donald Trump has major mental decline," Krassenstein wrote on X. He then wondered how conservative media would react if former President Joe Biden had done the same thing: "Just think for one minute if Joe Biden had waved into the abyss like Trump just did here. Imagine what Fox News would be saying."

The episode is one of many involving Trump's unusual movements. During a visit to Japan in October 2025, Trump appeared confused while walking through a room of dignitaries and a military band, at one point wandering off without Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, according to the magazine.

At 80, Trump's physical and mental fitness have come under scrutiny from numerous medical experts during his second term. As recently reported by AlterNet, a psychologist warned that the president has shown "highly concerning" signs of confusion and "seizure-like episodes" while at public events. Medical experts have analyzed his verbal slips and repetitive language as potential indicators of cognitive aging or possible signs of dementia. Publicly recorded behavior alone cannot establish a medical diagnosis; determining whether such behavior reflects a cognitive or neurological condition requires a clinical evaluation.

The White House has continued to push back on concerns about his ability to perform his duties. "President Trump is the sharpest, most accessible, and energetic president in American history," White House spokesperson Davis Ingle said.

Trump made attacks on Biden's mental health central to his 2024 election campaign, and many of his talking points have come back to haunt him. He has [frequently drawn comparisons](https://www.alternet.org/2020/11/trump to Biden, who was forced to abandon his bid for reelection after a disastrous presidential debate.