Trump Proposes Joint Cognitive Tests with Biden

On Friday, former President Donald Trump proposed that he and President Joe Biden should both undergo cognitive tests. Trump’s suggestion follows growing scrutiny of Biden’s mental fitness, which emerged after the June 27 debate where concerns about Biden’s cognitive abilities were raised. Trump, 78, offered to “team up” with Biden, 81, for the tests, stating on Truth Social that he would also take the test, marking the first time he has publicly made such a proposal since the debate. “For the first time, we’ll be a team, and do it for the good of the Country,” Trump wrote, advocating that all presidential candidates should be mandated to take cognitive and aptitude evaluations.

Previously, Trump had called for Biden to take a cognitive test, but this is his first request since the debate. Prominent Democrats such as Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer, Representative Adam Schiff, and Speaker Nancy Pelosi have also suggested that both Biden and Trump take cognitive tests following the debate. However, Biden has dismissed these calls, stating in an ABC News interview last week that he experiences daily challenges inherent to his job, referring to them as his own personal “test.”

In a subsequent Truth Social post, Trump criticized Biden’s debate performance as “really bad” and pointed out what he deemed an “unpardonable gaffe” by Biden. He highlighted an incident where Biden mistakenly referred to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy as “President Putin” before quickly correcting himself. Trump claimed this misstep illustrated Biden’s ongoing poor performance since the debate.

Experts caution against interpreting the results of a cognitive test in isolation. Dr. Duke Han, a professor of psychology and family medicine at the University of Southern California’s Keck School of Medicine, emphasized that results from such tests, without additional context, may not fully represent an individual’s cognitive abilities. “Releasing just numbers on a particular test won’t give the whole story on how a person is functioning,” Dr. Han noted, suggesting that public interpretation could be misleading.

In addition to his cognitive test proposal, Trump used his Truth Social platform to propagate a baseless conspiracy theory that former President Barack Obama is secretly orchestrating efforts to pressure Biden into resigning from the presidential race. Trump accused Biden of being influenced by “complete losers” like George Clooney, who, according to Trump, was under Obama’s influence. This claim references a Politico report alleging that Obama was aware of Clooney’s op-ed in the New York Times, which suggested Biden step aside, but did nothing to intervene. Trump alleged that Obama has long viewed Biden as “dumb” and a “total lightweight” and that he desires Biden’s removal to pave the way for Vice President Kamala Harris. However, there is no evidence supporting a strained relationship between Biden and Obama, who has publicly supported Biden’s campaign and defended him following the debate.

Trump has frequently boasted about “acing” a cognitive test administered by White House physician Dr. Ronny Jackson in 2018, reporting a perfect score of 30/30 on the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA), a 30-question test designed to be completed in about 10 minutes. In contrast, Biden’s physician has not recommended a cognitive test. Dr. Kevin O’Connor, Biden’s White House physician, detailed in the president’s annual medical report released in February that Biden underwent a thorough neurological examination, which found no signs of Parkinson’s disease, stroke, or other neurological disorders. Biden has characterized the debate performance as an off night and attributed it to a cold and exhaustion from his recent European trips from June 5-15.