‘MAGA Hunger Games’ Taking Place as Trump Health Slips

According to conservative political consultant Rick Wilson, the “Hunger Games” of MAGA movement are unfolding in Washington, D.C., as 79-year-old President Donald Trump shows signs of aging.

Wilson added that “rumors emanating from Trumpworld” suggest that Vice President J.D. Vance is “moving quickly” in this behind-the-scenes power shift, positioning himself to take over MAGA leadership sooner or later, according to his website Substack.

“Whether it’s slow or fast, he’s on the verge of collapse,” Wilson said of Trump. “The circle that knows what’s going on is very small and paranoid. J.D. Vance knows that, and he’s moving quickly.” »

Wilson cited Vance’s interview this week with USA Today—in which he said he was ready to take over the presidency, having received “hands-on training” during his first seven months in office—as further evidence of the scramble behind the scenes.

The White House did not respond to a request for comment. The Daily Beast contacted Vance’s office, which did not respond to Wilson’s allegations.

Trump said in May that it was “too early” to say who might succeed him. He emphasized, however, that Vance was “doing a fantastic job” and that Secretary of State Marco Rubio is “terrific.” Of course, the 25th Amendment stipulates that if anything happens to Trump during that time, Vance will become president.

Wilson, 61, is a prominent right-wing Trump critic. He co-founded the Lincoln Project, an anti-Trump super PAC, and has written books highly critical of the president and the MAGA movement.

Publicly, Vance and White House spokespeople have denied rumors of Trump’s deteriorating health.

In the interview announcing his readiness to assume the presidency, the vice president said Trump was “in very good health” and possessed “tremendous energy.”

“Although most of the people who work for the President of the United States are younger than he is, I think he’s actually the last one to go to bed,” Vance told USA Today.

Vance added: “He’s the last one on the phone at night, the first one to wake up, and the first one on the phone in the morning. So, yes, a lot can happen. Yes, terrible tragedies do occur, but I’m confident that the President of the United States is in good physical shape, will complete his term, and will accomplish great things for the American people.”

The White House called on Ronny Jackson, a practicing physician during Trump’s first term who has since lost his medical license and now represents Texas in Congress, to declare Tuesday that Trump, a fast-food lover, is “the healthiest president this country has ever known.”

That statement isn’t convincing many Americans.

Trump’s severely swollen ankles were photographed several times this summer, and he struggled to walk straight on many occasions. He also had severe bruises on both hands, which he tried to conceal with a generous layer of makeup.

In July, the White House announced that Trump suffered from chronic venous insufficiency, a condition that occurs when the valves in the veins in the legs rupture, causing blood to pool. This is believed to be the cause of Trump’s current ankle pain. As for the bruises on his hands, the White House claimed they resulted from repeated shaking while taking aspirin, although that did not explain the bruises on both hands.

Trump also suffered from a lack of intelligence this summer. On August 12, he announced he would travel to Russia to meet with Putin, when the meeting was actually taking place in Alaska. He then referred to the Russian city of St. Petersburg as “Leningrad,” a name abandoned in 1991.

More recently, Trump failed to recognize Finnish President Alexander Stubb, who was sitting directly across from him, and completely mispronounced Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer’s name.