It’s been six years since Donald Trump took a cognitive exam, and it’s disturbing to see the former president continue to brag about the results. But as NBC News reported this weekend, the Republican’s swapping of his former doctor’s name gave an unfortunate twist to the broader story.
At an event in Michigan, the presumptive GOP nominee initially claimed that Biden doesn’t know the meaning of the word “inflation.” That was certainly a strange line of attack, since Trump seems eager to respond to inflation with a plan that would make the problem worse, not better.
But the former president didn’t stop there.
“I took a cognitive test and I passed it,” Trump boasted. ‘Doctor Ronny Johnson. Does everyone know Ronny Johnson, congressman from Texas? He was the White House doctor, and he said he thought I was the healthiest president in history, so I immediately liked him.”
He was, of course, referring to Ronny Jackson – his former doctor, former Cabinet Secretary candidate and close political ally. In other words, the former president, while bragging about his cognitive abilities, botched the name of his former doctor.
In case anyone needs a refresher, Trump underwent an annual physical exam in early 2018, which, according to his then-doctor, included the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA), leading his doctor to conclude that Trump has no cognitive or mental deficiencies. The problem, of course, was that the Republican celebrated — and continues to celebrate — the results in a way that suggested he didn’t fully appreciate what the test was about.
“If you look at the test, it’s quite difficult to see how you couldn’t score a 30 [out of 30],” a Washington Post article explained in early 2018, adding, “Yes, Trump passed with flying colors, as any adult with normal cognitive function probably would.”
We’re talking about an exam used to identify evidence of dementia, mental decline, and neurodegenerative diseases. For example, those who adopt it might be asked to draw a clock or describe the similarities between oranges and bananas.
However, Trump somehow convinced himself that it is akin to a Mensa exam, and that his ability to get a perfect score is a testament to his genius.
It’s not. Although the precise wording of different MoCA tests may vary and the final questions are marginally more difficult, a sample test included with the final questions asked respondents to name words beginning with the letter F – with the expectation that people would at least could name 11. within a minute. Another final question required respondents to say a three-digit number backwards.
Nevertheless, more than six years later, Trump is still preoccupied with his ability to pass an exam that he later claimed contained “difficult” questions.
Taking a step back, I understand why the former president is a bit defensive on this issue. In 2017, Trump seemed so unhinged that the Washington Post’s Dana Milbank wondered whether the Republican was “barking madly.” In 2018, a reporter felt compelled to ask at a White House press conference, “Should Americans be concerned about the president’s mental fitness?”
These questions increased in the years that followed. After the former president’s bizarre recent rant about boats, batteries and sharks, the headline of Eugene Robinson’s column read: “Is Donald Trump OK?”
After the Republican gave away Jackson’s name while bragging about his cognitive skills, it’s hard to blame observers for continuing to ask the question.
This article was originally published on MSNBC.com
