By James Bickerton
Copyright newsweek
Google’s AI Overview did not provide a summary for the query “does Trump show signs of dementia,” despite doing so for a number of former presidents, according to a report by the Verge.
Newsweek contacted Google and the White House press office for comment via email on Thursday outside regular office hours.
An autoreply from the White House said: “Due to staff shortages resulting from the Democrat Shutdown, the typical 24/7 monitoring of this press inbox may experience delays. We ask for your patience as our staff work to field your requests in a timely manner.”
Why It Matters
On January 20, Donald Trump became the oldest person inaugurated president of the United States. Trump, who celebrated his 79th birthday in June, has often commented on the acuity of his predecessor, Joe Biden, who left office at the age of 82.
Health and mental cognizance were major issues in last year’s presidential election, with Biden dropping out of the race in July 2024 after a gaffe-filled debate performance raised concerns. Trump also made a number of gaffes during the campaign, including praising the fictional serial killer Hannibal Lecter and appearing to confuse Beijing with Taiwan.
The president has continued to spark debate about his health and cognitive state. In July, the White House announced that Trump had been diagnosed with chronic venous insufficiency, a condition White House physician Captain Sean Barbabella described as “benign and common” in individuals over 70. Still, critics have called for more transparency from the White House about the president’s health.
What To Know
On Tuesday, the Verge reported that searches for “does Trump show signs of dementia” and similarly worded queries were failing to produce a Google AI Overview result, though Google AI Overviews were available when the same question was asked about former presidents.
When Newsweek searched for “does Trump show signs of dementia” on October 2, Google’s AI Overview did not produce a custom AI summary. Instead, it offered a list of the top search results, per Google’s traditional system.
President Donald Trump in the Oval Office at the White House in Washington, D.C., on September 30. (Photo by Win McNamee/Getty Images)
By contrast Google’s AI Overview, which began rolling out in May 2024, provided an answer when asked “does Biden show signs of dementia.”
“As of October 2025, there has been ongoing speculation and public concern regarding former President Joe Biden’s cognitive abilities and whether he shows signs of dementia,” the AI Overview said.
Google’s AI went on to provide summaries of “public observations and concerns” regarding Biden’s health, along with the views of medical professionals and the former president’s team.
Similarly, the AI Overview answered the question when asked whether former Presidents Barack Obama or George W. Bush “show signs of dementia.” In the former’s case, the AI Overview said there was “no credible public evidence or reporting” to indicate this.
On Monday, a court filling said Google’s parent company, Alphabet, had agreed to a $24.5 million settlement with Trump after his account was suspended from YouTube, which Google owns, following the January 6, 2021, Capitol Hill riot.
What People Are Saying
Google spokesperson Davis Thompson told the Verge: “As we’ve said, AI Overviews and AI Mode won’t show a response to every query.”
President Donald Trump wrote on Truth Social in September: “NEVER FELT BETTER IN MY LIFE.”
What Happens Next
The public and media are likely to continue paying close attention to Trump’s health while he remains in office.
