Beyond commenting on the “softening” of the NFL, Donald Trump, the Republican candidate for President has essentially ignored those with brain injury during his campaign. Last week in Florida, though, Donald Trump spoke of brain injury at a rally in Florida when, “a woman who had fainted [during a Trump rally]… returned to the crowd.” Commenting on her return, Trump said, “That woman was out cold, and now she’s coming back.” While there is nothing wrong with that statement, he then returned to a topic he spoke of earlier in his campaign: namely, he spoke of the “softening” of the NFL, with its new post-concussion regulations.
Through continual blows to the head, NFL players are prone to CTE (chronic traumatic encephalopathy). Harry Carson, a former Hall of Fame linebacker for the New York Giants who developed CTE, said in response to Trump’s views, “Once the brain is injured, you [can] never recover… So to make light of it, there’s a certain amount of ignorance that’s there.” Carson also noted that many children look up to and try to imitate the actions of NFL players, which may lead to concussions and other brain injuries in them.
Political commentators always note when a candidate changes his or her views on a topic. Trump, however, has stayed consistently pro-neurological disorder on this subject. This opinion, though, expresses a disregard for Americans, merely for his entertainment.