US President Donald Trump has suggested that all presidential and vice presidential candidates should be required to take a cognitive test before running for office. Trump, who is 79 years old, made the comments during a speech at The Villages Charter School in Florida. He also boasted that he himself has passed three cognitive tests, calling it a rare achievement.
During the speech, Trump shared examples of what he said were questions from the test. One was identifying the correct animal from a list including a lion, a giraffe, a bear, and a shark. He also described a math equation, saying, “Take a number, any number, OK, I’ll take 99, ‘Multiply times nine,’ OK, ‘Divide it by three,’ good, ‘Add 4,293.’ Divide by two. Subtract 93. Divide by nine. What is your answer?”
Trump explained why he first decided to take the test, saying, “You have five doctors lined up. They’re all over the place. I said, ‘Should I take it?’ You know, I’ve had different phases… Then they said, ‘He’s really not a smart person at all.’ I really hated that, so I took a cognitive test.” According to NDTV, he claimed he passed it and has now done so three times, which he described as something “rarely done before.”
Trump’s call for mandatory cognitive tests has drawn pushback from lawmakers who want his own results made public
This is not the first time Trump has talked about his cognitive test results. In 2020, he claimed to have passed the Montreal Cognitive Assessment, a test designed to detect early signs of dementia and Alzheimer’s disease. He also used social media at the time to show off his ability to remember a list of words in order, posting: “Person. Woman. Man. Camera. TV.”
However, the detailed results from Trump’s tests have never been publicly released. The White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt had stated that Trump was in normal physical health, with advanced imaging done because of his age and cardiovascular health, but no cognitive test results have been shared publicly. This comes amid a broader pattern of Trump making controversial public statements that have kept lawmakers on edge.
Democratic Representative Jamie Raskin called on White House physician Sean Barbabella to conduct a cognitive test on Trump, particularly following Trump’s heightened rhetoric around a possible US war with Iran, reports The Daily Beast. Raskin also demanded that Barbabella be made available to answer lawmakers’ questions about the president’s health under oath. The demand reflects growing concern about whether the president is fit to handle major decisions.
Trump’s suggestion has raised wider questions about whether presidential candidates should be required to prove their mental fitness before running for office. While Trump frames the idea as a way to set a standard for all candidates, critics see it differently, especially since his own test results remain private.
Many argue that if Trump genuinely supports transparency on this issue, releasing his own detailed results would be a logical first step. His escalating tensions with US military allies have added further pressure on his administration during this period.
The Montreal Cognitive Assessment, which Trump has previously referenced, is widely used to detect early signs of cognitive decline. It is not a measure of general intelligence, but rather a screening tool for conditions like dementia and Alzheimer’s disease. Trump’s repeated claims of “acing” this test have been met with skepticism by experts, as no detailed results have been released to back up those claims.
Published: May 2, 2026 09:30 am