'Embarrassing': Trump Attracts Backlash for Bragging About Dementia Screening and Taking It as an IQ Test

Trump Claims Superiority Through Repeated Cognitive Testing

Trump hosted a business summit at the White House on Monday, where he highlighted his willingness to take mental evaluations and claimed this set him apart from other presidents.

'No president has ever taken a cognitive test except me. I've taken three of them,' Trump said, later adding that he had 'aced each one.' He told the audience there were 'many people in this room' he considered smart, but suggested they would not achieve a perfect score.

Trump went on to call for a mandatory testing policy, saying: 'I think every person running for president should have to take a cognitive test. I really do.'

He also described one of the tasks he said appeared on his exam. According to Trump, he was shown pictures of 'a lion, a bear, an alligator, and a squirrel' and asked to identify which was the squirrel.

Cognitive experts note that the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA), which Trump has previously said he took, uses animal-naming tasks as a basic screening tool rather than as an IQ measurement.

Public Ridicule and Concerns Over Changing Narratives

Reaction to Trump's comments was swift, with many critics emphasising that the MoCA and similar exams are used to screen for dementia or other cognitive disorders, not to rank intelligence. One social media user called it 'embarrassing that Trump brags about dementia screening,' arguing that he appeared 'confused' in treating it as a 'very hard I.Q test.'

Another commentator noted that the exam is typically recommended 'when there's reasonable cause to believe [a person's] cognitive function may be starting to fail.' A third person said it is usually given to individuals who 'show signs of impaired memory, thinking, or other brain functions,' adding that Trump's references to taking multiple tests suggested there had been 'serious concerns.'

Observers also questioned the consistency of Trump's story about the test content. In his latest account, he listed a lion, a bear, an alligator and a squirrel. In past retellings, however, Trump has recalled identifying a lion, a giraffe and a whale, while another version reportedly included animals such as a bear, a shark or an alligator.

Critics highlighted these changes, with one person writing: 'This story keeps changing. One time it's a giraffe, then a bear, now it's a squirrel.' Documentation for the MoCA shows that the standard animal-naming task uses images of a lion, a camel and a rhinoceros.

A History of Boasting About Cognitive Results

This is not the first time Trump has focused on his cognitive exam results when addressing questions about his fitness for office. In previous interviews, he has claimed a 'perfect' score on the MoCA and argued that his political opponents would be unable to match his performance.

His description of the test as 'challenging' and 'very hard' has repeatedly been met with mockery by medical professionals and commentators who note that it is designed as a quick screening instrument for mild cognitive dysfunction. One widely shared critique said the tasks were simple enough that an 'avg 10-year-old would ace' them, making Trump's repeated celebrations of his results appear misplaced.

Despite that backlash, Trump continues to reference the cognitive test in speeches and interviews as evidence of his mental acuity. Medical guidance on the MoCA describes it as a short tool intended to flag possible cognitive impairment and to be followed by further evaluation where needed, rather than as any measure of high intelligence.