Does he actually believe himself with these stories or is he being manipulated to push them for sympathy from low information voters?
Both.
He’s an idiot..................
Don’t be surprised if he brings up Beau and burn pits on his photo op trip to East Palestine.
He believes his son’s cancer developed because of the fires in Iraq when he was serving there. Joe has, I think, convinced himself.
He may believe those stories. With dementia, the person can make up all sorts of things. I know a man with moderate dementia who tells everyone his exploits at Pearl Harbor in 1941. Trouble is, he was only 11 years old then and in middle school in New Jersey.