In October 2025, Donald Trump took a cognitive test at Walter Reed Medical Center. He passed with a perfect score of 30 out of 30. He then boarded Air Force One and told reporters it was a very hard IQ test, one that most people couldn't pass, and challenged Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Jasmine Crockett to take it — calling them both "low IQ."
There is one problem with all of this. It is not an IQ test. It has never been an IQ test. It was specifically designed not to be an IQ test. It is a dementia screening.
The Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) is a 10-minute screening tool designed to detect early signs of dementia or Alzheimer's disease. A score of 26 or above out of 30 is considered normal. It assesses whether you have cognitive impairment — not how smart you are. Source: Axios, NBC News
What the "Very Hard" Test Actually Involves.
- Identify a picture of a lion, a rhinoceros, and a camel
- Draw a clock showing a specific time
- Repeat a short list of words
- Count backwards from 100 by 7s
- Name the current date, month, and year
- Copy a simple drawing of a cube
- Repeat a sentence read to you
Trump specifically mentioned "a tiger, an elephant, a giraffe" while describing the test's difficulty. The test's creator, neurologist Dr. Ziad Nasreddine, has stated clearly: "There are no studies showing that this test is correlated to IQ tests. The purpose of it was not to determine persons who have a low IQ level. So we cannot say that this test reflects somebody's IQ."
Passing a dementia screen doesn't mean you're smart. It means you're not currently showing signs of dementia. Those are two very different things — and knowing the difference between them is arguably the actual intelligence test here.
He Took It Three Times. And Bragged Each Time.
Trump first took the MoCA in 2018 under Dr. Ronny Jackson, scoring 30/30. He took it again in April 2025 at the start of his second term. And then again before October 2025, when he disclosed the results aboard Air Force One. Each time, he has described it as a difficult IQ test. Each time, doctors and the test's own creator have corrected him. He has not updated his position.
He also took what appears to be a third test in January 2026 and held a press conference encouraging everyone in the country to take it. Jimmy Kimmel took it on live television — with a doctor present — and aced it on his first try.
AOC's Response Was Perfect.
"Out of curiosity, did those doctors ask you to draw a clock by any chance? Was that part hard for you, too? Asking for 340 million people."
Drawing a clock is one of the tasks on the MoCA. It is also one of the tasks that can reveal early cognitive issues — which is why she asked. The White House did not respond.
Why This Actually Matters.
Look — there's an easy version of this post that's just funny. And it is funny. The President of the United States thinks identifying a camel makes him a genius. That's genuinely hilarious.
But here's the part that isn't funny: this is the man who is running the country, conducting a war, managing the economy, and making decisions that affect 340 million people. And he doesn't know the difference between a dementia screening and an intelligence test. He's been corrected on this — repeatedly, publicly, by doctors and the test's own creator — and he keeps saying it anyway.
That's not a joke. That's a problem.
This post distinguishes between documented facts, allegations, and analysis. Where motive, intent, corruption, or illegality remains disputed in the public record, the text attributes that judgment to court findings, official records, direct quotes, or the reporting linked below.
- Axios: Trump's Walter Reed test results, October 2025. Tasks include animal ID and clock drawing. Score of 26/30 considered normal.
- NBC News: MoCA creator Dr. Nasreddine — "There are no studies showing this test is correlated to IQ tests."
- Health Digest: Jimmy Kimmel aced the test on his first try on live TV, January 2026.