Nationwide — President Trump stirred controversy after appearing to boast about his performance on a dementia screening test while speaking with reporters aboard Air Force One. The president claimed he had taken what he called an “IQ test” at Walter Reed Medical Center and challenged Democratic Reps. Jasmine Crockett, 44, and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, 36, to take the same exam. “They have Jasmine Crockett, a low IQ person. AOC is low IQ,” Trump said. “You give her an IQ test, have her pass the exams I decided to take at Walter Reed.”
According to People, Trump appeared to be referring to the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA), a 10-minute test designed to detect early signs of dementia or Alzheimer’s disease. He mocked both lawmakers, saying they wouldn’t be able to answer the more difficult questions. “The first couple questions are easy: a tiger, an elephant, a giraffe,” he said. “But when you get up to 10 and 20 and 25, they couldn’t come close to answering those questions.”
The MoCA test is not an IQ exam. In fact, Dr. Ziad Nasreddine, the neurologist who created the MoCA in 1996, has stated clearly that the test is designed to detect cognitive decline, not intelligence. “There are no studies showing that this test is correlated to IQ tests,” he told NBC News. “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.”
Trump has a history of touting his performance on the MoCA. His physician previously said he received a perfect score during his annual physical earlier this year at Walter Reed. He also took the test in 2018, reportedly scoring 30 out of 30, and in 2020 challenged then-candidate Joe Biden to take it. In a Fox News interview at the time, Trump famously recited the words “person, woman, man, camera, TV,” claiming it was a difficult part of the test that he aced.
The president returned to Walter Reed earlier this month for additional medical evaluations, including lab testing, advanced imaging, and preventive assessments. He also underwent an MRI, which he described as “perfect,” though he did not say why the scan was conducted. Trump used the results as further proof of his mental sharpness as he heads into the 2026 election season.
Despite Trump’s claims, experts emphasize that passing the MoCA does not indicate above-average intelligence or superior cognitive ability. It merely suggests the absence of significant cognitive impairment at the time of testing. Trump’s repeated references to the test as proof of “high IQ” have drawn criticism from medical professionals and political opponents alike, who argue he’s mischaracterizing the purpose of the screening for political gain.