Why Does Donald Trump Make A 'Slurping' Sound When He Talks? A Language Pathologist Weighs In
With his many public appearances and recorded conversations, President Donald Trump has raised health concerns due to a specific speaking habit. The internet has noticed that between his sentences, the president makes a slurping sound. During cabinet discussions, international meetings, and speeches, as he roams through his talk, Trump will slurp in, similar to taking in a deep breath, before continuing with his speaking.
Do you hear that slurping sound that Trump keeps making recently it's called Dysphasia.This happens when a person is in Progressive Cognitive decline! You will also hear him make a groaning or grunting noise & see what looks like him drooling & it's all related! Its not laughing pic.twitter.com/XuLyG24i1a
— Suzie rizzio (@Suzierizzo1) January 11, 2026
The sound potentially reveals the president's difficulty with his passive swallowing, which removes excess saliva from his mouth. Also called "spontaneous swallowing," this is an action that our bodies conduct automatically; however, as individuals get older and/or experience medical emergencies, this ability to swallow passively can deteriorate. As speculation has broken out online, this suction pattern has also been identified as a symptom of many progressive neurological diseases.
It's true that this pattern can occur in those who have cognitive deterioration of some kind, but the rumors surrounding Trump have created a knotted web of theories. So, to make sense of the internet discussion noise, professionals in the field have stepped forward to further examine the president's slurping, taking to their personal social media pages to share their insights. Among them, a trained speech-language pathologist provided an examination of the president's slurping via her TikTok.
What professionals have said about Trump's slurping
In January 2026, a certified speech-language pathologist, who specializes in neurological rehabilitation, posted a TikTok addressing and analyzing the president's slurping. The specialist said that while she couldn't diagnose the president, it could be a sign of a neurological condition. "That slurping sound is an indicator to me as a speech-language pathologist that something is very, very wrong with this man's brain," she explained to her followers. The professional confirmed that the pattern is a sign of losing the swallowing reflex, before speculating on the possible diagnosis behind Donald Trump's slurping."That is indicative of a neurological disease," she said. "It could be dementia, Parkinson's, Huntington's, ALS, we see it in a lot. But what we see it in, we know is a neurological progressive disease."
@concussiontalks.slp It's such a small thing- a slurping sound- but it is indicative of a big issue. Donald Trump's neurological decline. #slp #fyp #trump #health #maga Disclaimer: Educational content only. I do not diagnose or assess any individual I have not personally evaluated. My comments address general communication and brain injury/decline related concepts—not specific medical conclusions about public figures or athletes.
Others have shown that this symptom, known as "dysphagia" (not "dysphasia" as the X post suggested), can be an indicator of a previous acute stroke. Given the three cognitive tests Trump took during the first year of his second term, this new development adds to the already existing concern for President Trump's health.
The dim future suggested by Trump's slurping
"It's gonna be getting worse," the experienced speech-language pathologist told her followers. "You're going to be seeing it more. You're going to see it more when he's tired, after he's given a long speech, and you're going to see it more and more as the days go on because this is more of a degenerative thing."
Voice and speech professor CC Rice made a similar statement in an analysis video on her Instagram after reviewing a clip of the president talking. "It's progressing," she said. "If I heard this with someone I was working with, I would immediately recommend them to their doctor to get their brain scanned because this is a symptom of late-stage dementia."
Rice continued on, providing some insight into the president's future condition given his current state. She explained that taking into consideration the frequency of his recent slurping and the slurred speech he's exhibited in the past, these signs are telltale indicators of his mortality.
Her suggestion of dementia adds to an ongoing conversation over the president's brain health, which has claimed that Trump has shown signs of the memory-damaging condition since at least early 2025. It should be kept in mind, however, that unless a healthcare professional has personally examined Trump, it's not possible for them to make a diagnosis.