Donald Trump has again sought to head off questions about his health, using Truth Social to claim he has taken multiple cognitive exams and that he ‘aced’ each one.
The 79 year old, who will turn 80 in a matter of weeks, posted on Thursday to promote his mental sharpness and argue for testing among candidates. “Anybody running for President or Vice President should be forced to take a Cognitive Examination prior to entering the Race,” he declared.
He added: “By doing so, we wouldn’t be surprised at people like Barack ‘Hussein’ Obama, or Sleepy Joe Biden, getting ‘ELECTED.’ Our Country would be a much better place,” he claimed.
In the same message, Trump said he had ‘aced it all three times’ and also referenced serving three presidential terms—something that would not be permitted under the US Constitution.
He wrote: “I took the Exam three times during my (‘THREE!’) Terms as President, and ACED IT ALL THREE TIMES,” Trump wrote.
Trump continued: “An Achievement that, even on a single Exam, according to the Doctors, has rarely been done before,” he said.
However, despite Trump’s insistence that his results were exceptional, some specialists have pushed back on the idea that passing such an assessment is remarkable.
Trump did not specify which exam he took. Still, it has widely been assumed he is referring to the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA), a screening tool designed to flag signs of cognitive impairment.
The MoCA is intended to be manageable for most people without significant impairment, while those with cognitive difficulties may struggle with parts of the assessment.
It is also not typically part of routine checkups; it is more commonly administered when there are concerns about someone’s cognition or in certain age-related evaluations.
According to the Mirror, clinical psychologist previously Dr John Gartner said that completing the test successfully is not the kind of feat it is sometimes portrayed to be.
“It’s only an exam we actually give if we’re suspecting someone might have cognitive decline, or sometimes we give it as part of a standard battery for people of a certain age,” he noted.
“But the point is that it’s not a test you ace, right? If you pass it, it means you don’t have gross dementia.” Dr Gartner elaborated: “It doesn’t even mean you don’t have early dementia.”
He added that the tasks involved are basic markers used to identify more pronounced decline. “It’s actually from a certain level of deterioration. So, it’s not an accomplishment to be able to draw a clock or pick out which animal is the lion, or to repeat three numbers; that’s really not a huge accomplishment. It’s only a warning sign if you can’t do it.”
Scrutiny of the President’s cognitive fitness has intensified in recent weeks, including after he reportedly confused Ukraine and Iran during a speech. The topic also surfaced during a congressional hearing, when Defense Secretary Pete Hesgeth avoided giving a direct response about whether he believed the President was healthy enough to serve.
“Do you believe the the president is mentally stable enough to be the commander-in-chief?” California Democrat Sara Jacobs asked the defense secretary during his appearance before the House Armed Services Committee on Wednesday.
Hesgeth did not answer the question, instead turning the focus toward Joe Biden and questioning whether the former president faced similar examination.