Trump faces push-back as he sinks in the polls

Trump faces push-back as he sinks in the polls

Author: Really American Media August 29, 2025 Duration: 1:47:08

Your favorite shrinks, John Gartner and Harry Segal, present “this week” in Trump’s cognitive decline, as well as an extended excerpt of Pritzker’s heroic speech pushing back on federal threats to Chicago. While describing this moment in history, the two psychologists offer support and ways to cope with the anxiety Trump’s chaos generates for all of us.


Be sure to subscribe wherever you get your podcasts:

Our site

Subscribe on iTunes

Subscribe on Spotify

Subscribe on Amazon Music

Subscribe on iHeartRadio


When we revisit Trump’s rallies and interviews this week, it feels less like campaign drama and more like a national group therapy session. Gartner and Segal track every rambling detour, abrupt topic shift, and glaring contradiction—not as mere gaffes, but as warning signals that someone at the helm may be losing his cognitive bearings.


Every photo-op, from overseas summits to tense showdowns on U.S. streets, has started to resemble a rehearsal for power consolidation. Flashing military muscle instead of engaging in normal governance isn’t strength; it’s intimidation. Watching constitutional safeguards brushed aside as mere inconveniences ought to jolt us awake to the creeping authoritarian impulse.


Amid that growing unease, Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker stood up like a lighthouse in a storm. Invoking the Constitution, he called out federal threats to deploy the National Guard in Chicago and reminded everyone that local authority can’t be bulldozed for political spectacle. While Trump’s allies cheered each flex of force, Pritzker’s words made clear that true leadership sometimes means speaking truth to power at the risk of losing applause.


Gartner and Segal refuse to leave us adrift in anxiety. They argue that naming these mind games—the gaslighting, the fear-mongering—is our first line of defense. Checking facts in real time, fostering honest conversations with friends, and carving out simple daily rituals can help us stay grounded when the political airwaves feel like a hurricane.


Listening to Shrinking Trump isn’t just an exercise in critique; it’s an invitation to reclaim our narrative. When we spot the cracks in Trump’s rhetoric and recognize his power plays for what they are, we protect not only our sanity but the democratic foundations we hold dear.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices


Each week, psychologists John Gartner and Harry Segal sit down for a session focused on a singular, complex subject: the mind of Donald Trump. In their Shrinking Trump podcast, produced by Really American Media, they apply their clinical expertise to publicly available behavior and speech, methodically documenting signs of cognitive decline and exploring the ramifications of his diagnosed malignant narcissism. They are joined by a roster of expert guests from various fields, turning each episode into a nuanced discussion that goes beyond standard political commentary. Dr. Gartner, a former Johns Hopkins psychiatry professor and founder of the Duty To Warn association, brings a particular urgency to these conversations, framing them within a broader ethical context. This isn't about partisan politics; it's a forensic psychological examination of a figure who has profoundly impacted the national landscape. Tuning in, you'll hear a careful, evidence-based analysis that breaks down rhetoric and action through a clinical lens, offering listeners a distinct perspective found in few other news and politics podcasts. The dialogue is direct, informed, and dedicated to understanding the psychological drivers behind the headlines, providing a deeper framework for interpreting ongoing events.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 70

Shrinking Trump
Podcast Episodes
This series on Trump’s mental condition comes to a close [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 2:45:09
On this last show, your favorite psychologists, John Gartner and Harry Segal, review Trump’s bizarre speech in Quantico while explaining their decision to end the series. They are joined by Really American’s Justin Horwi…
The Jimmy Kimmel canceling is a tipping point for democracy [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:34:08
Your favorite psychologists, John Gartner and Harry Segal, review the insidious way the Trump administration is using the Kirk assassination to end freedom of speech. They are joined again by Dr. Vince Greenwood, an expe…
Epstein Files Frenzy and Court Losses Fuel Trump’s Collapse [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:43:25
One of your favorite psychologists, Harry Segal, is back to describe and interpret Trump’s strange behaviors this week, from his tone-deaf response to the Epstein-Maxwell victims to his mysterious medical symptoms. Since…
Trump stumbles over Epstein while aiming at Chicago [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 2:15:32
Your favorite psychologists, John Gartner and Harry Segal, present “this week” in Trump’s power grab encouraged by the Supreme Court. They are joined by the great Andy Borowitz who brings his humor and insight to this da…
Trump’s pathological relationship with Putin is on full display [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 2:07:24
Your favorite psychologists, John Gartner and Harry Segal, review Trump’s disastrous Alaska summit and marvel at how he has reverted to Putin’s absurd Ukraine talking points. They also speak with Richard Wood, eminent cl…
Is Trump becoming “the demented dictator?” [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 2:05:07
Is Trump becoming “the demented dictator”? That’s the question driving the latest episode of Shrinking Trump, as clinical psychologists John Gartner and Harry Segal sit down with Dan Rodricks, the legendary former Baltim…
Even Republicans can’t miss Trump’s walk on the roof! [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 2:12:00
Your favorite clinical psychologists, John Gartner and Harry Segal, observe how the media is turning again, however slowly, to Trump’s mental decline. They are also joined by James Fishkin, professor at Stanford, whose w…
Finally, Trump’s grip on the country has begun to slip [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:14:45
Your favorite clinical psychologists, John Gartner and Harry Segal, observe more signs of Trump’s cognitive decline as well as his loss of support among independents. Is it starting to look like 2020 all over again? Be s…
Trump’s cognitive confusion continues! [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 2:12:15
Your favorite clinical psychologists, John Gartner and Harry Segal, review Trump’s confusion over the Epstein debacle, sound the alarm about the firing of Colbert and the purchase of CBS, and discuss the implications of…