President Donald Trump declared himself a “freaking genius” during a rally in Bullhead City, Arizona, stating that he had “aced” a cognitive test. Trump claimed the test involved memorizing five words, which he successfully recited in order.
"They go, ‘Holy shit! Nobody can do that,’" Trump told the crowd. "They say very few people can do it, but almost none can do them in order like that. But I can. You know why? Because I’m a freaking genius, that’s why."
The president’s remarks echo an earlier claim he made during a 2020 Fox News interview, where he described being asked to repeat the words: “Person, woman, man, camera, TV.” Trump was reportedly referring to the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) test, a 10-minute examination designed to assess short-term memory, spatial awareness, and executive functioning.
Dr. Ziad Nasreddine, who designed the MoCA test, confirmed in a previous interview with MarketWatch that the assessment is intended to be easy for individuals without cognitive impairment and is typically administered by physicians to detect signs of Alzheimer’s disease.
Public scrutiny regarding Trump’s physical and cognitive health has intensified in recent months, fueled by news footage showing him appearing to struggle to stay awake during White House events. A Reuters/Ipsos poll published in February indicated that 45% of respondents viewed Trump as “mentally sharp and able to deal with challenges,” a decrease from 54% in a 2023 poll.
Trump is scheduled to appear at additional rallies in Kansas, Kentucky, and Georgia in the coming days as part of his efforts to support Republican candidates ahead of the midterm elections. However, Fox News’s latest power rankings, released earlier this week, predicted that Democrats might flip the House, a departure from the network’s usual projections.