President Donald Trump boasted about achieving a perfect score on a cognitive test, claiming it demonstrated his “extreme intelligence,” despite the fact that the exam does not measure intelligence. Trump, who is nearing 80 years old, underwent the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) as part of a routine physical examination at the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center. The test, administered by Captain Sean Barbabella, indicated that Trump’s cognitive performance fell within normal limits.
In a post on his Truth Social platform, Trump emphasized his perfect score and asserted that achieving such results on the test was rare and a testament to his intelligence. However, the MoCA test is not designed to evaluate intelligence but rather to detect early signs of cognitive decline and dementia, according to Dr. Ziad Nasreddine, a key figure in the development of the assessment.
The MoCA test evaluates various cognitive functions such as attention, memory, language, and orientation, with a score of over 26 typically considered indicative of normal cognitive performance. Tasks within the test include identifying pictures, word recall, and drawing clocks, providing doctors with valuable insights into potential cognitive issues.
Despite Trump’s claims of exceptional cognitive abilities, it is important to note that the MoCA test does not measure intelligence in the traditional sense. Additionally, as Trump enters his second term, signs of aging, such as bruising on his hands and swollen legs, have become more apparent. The physician attributed the bruising to minor soft tissue irritation likely caused by frequent handshaking and aspirin use for cardiovascular health.