Trump inadvertently highlights report questioning his mental fitness

Donald Trump may have inadvertently called attention to a report that business leaders were startled by his inability to “keep a straight thought” by promoting another report that disputed those claims.

CNBC’s Andrew Ross Sorkin spoke to CEOs who attended Business Roundtable’s quarterly meeting last week, and they told him the presumptive Republican nominee “was all over the map” and “remarkably meandering,” but Trump posted an excerpt on Truth Social from a right-wing media site that countered his reporting.

“The attendee who spoke with The Daily Signal said Sorkin’s interpretation is wrong,” reported The Daily Signal’s Rob Bluey, adding that the publication granted the attendee anonymity to speak candidly about the private meeting. “‘There was never a moment of meandering,’ the attendee said. ‘He was focused. In fact, he received a loud ovation at the end.’ The attendee added: ‘There was not one CEO who wasn’t impressed with what they heard from Trump. Everybody was clapping.’”

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The Daily Signal was founded a decade ago by the right-wing Heritage Foundation, which is developing the Project 2025 blueprint for radically reshaping the federal government to favor conservative interests, but the website became independent earlier this month.

President Joe Biden’s campaign highlighted Sorkin’s report, which also came on the heels of another report from CNBC that attendees at the meeting laughed at Trump’s proposal to eliminate taxes on worker tips.

“Trump then told the CEOs a story about how excited tipped workers were about his proposal, prompting laughter from the corporate leaders, according to multiple people,” CNBC reported, citing multiple sources who were present.