Donald Trump recently announced that his cognitive test results indicated “extreme intelligence,” although the test itself does not evaluate intelligence.
During his routine physical exam at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, the US President disclosed that he achieved a perfect score of 30 out of 30 on the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) for the fourth time. Trump, who will turn 80 next month, underwent both physical and mental evaluations, with Captain Sean Barbabella confirming that his MoCA score fell within the normal range.
In a social media post on Truth Social, Trump emphasized the rarity of a perfect score on the test, linking it to “extreme intelligence.” He asserted that his perfect scores across all four tests – totaling 120 correct answers out of 120 questions – set him apart from previous presidents and underscored the need for high-difficulty cognitive assessments for presidential candidates.
Despite Trump’s claims of exceptional cognitive performance, the MoCA test is not designed to measure intelligence. Developed to detect early signs of dementia, the assessment evaluates concentration, attention, calculation, language, memory, and orientation, with scores above 26 generally considered indicative of normal cognitive function.
Dr. Ziad Nasreddine, a key figure in the MoCA’s development, clarified that the test does not serve as an IQ assessment, focusing instead on identifying subtle cognitive issues. The assessment involves tasks like identifying animals from pictures, recalling word lists, and drawing clocks to provide early indications of conditions like Alzheimer’s disease.
Amid Trump’s second term, noticeable signs of aging such as bruising on his hands and swollen legs have emerged. The physician attributed the bruising to minor soft tissue irritation likely caused by frequent handshaking in conjunction with aspirin use for cardiovascular health.
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