'Parts of his brain aren't working': Columnist flags latest sign of Trump's mental decline

A prominent columnist flagged the latest sign that parts of President Donald Trump's brain may not work anymore during a new podcast interview.

David Rothkopf, a columnist for The Daily Beast, discussed Trump's seemingly erratic behavior over the last couple of weeks on a new episode of "The Daily Beast Podcast" on Monday. For instance, Rothkopf noted the increase in immigration agents on the streets, his threats to invade and take over Greenland, and the opening of an investigation into Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell over the central bank's headquarters renovation project.

But there was one particular sign of Trump's decline that caught Rothkopf's eye.

"He put out on True Social that he's the acting president of Venezuela, which I thought was cuckoo," Rothkopf said. "But you get an idea of how the Trump administration is currently working because [Secretary of State] Marco Rubio folded up a little note, handed it to Trump, Trump opened up the note and he's like, 'Go back to the guy from Chevron' ... and Trump just read it out loud straight because those parts of his brain just aren't working anymore."

Questions about Trump's health have swirled throughout his second administration. The president's bruised hands and swollen ankles are well documented, and he has been caught nodding off in the Oval Office during press events.

Trump has lashed out at publications like The New York Times for reporting on his health.