When a Prominent Figure on CNN Mocked Donald Trump Over ‘Dementia’ Boast With a One-Liner Comment

Dr. Jonathan Reiner, a prominent figure on CNN, has openly challenged former President Donald Trump’s claims regarding his cognitive test performance. Trump has frequently boasted about qualifying for the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA), indicating it was a difficult test. However, Reiner stepped in to provide a reality check, emphasizing a fundamental principle in dementia screenings. The MoCA test, popularly known for the "Person. Woman. Man. Camera. TV." segment, is often used to assess cognitive impairments that may highlight conditions like dementia. Contrary to Trump’s claims of its difficulty, Reiner pointed out, “If you think a dementia screening test is very difficult, you may have early dementia.”

As per the reports of HuffPost, Trump’s consistent exaggerations about the test’s complexity have been a recurring theme; despite evidence to the contrary, including sample tests that specifically demonstrate its straightforward nature, Trump has persisted in painting it as a rigorous examination. Dr. Ziad Nasreddine, the test's developer, emphasized, “It is supposed to be easy for someone who has no cognitive impairment.” Yet, Trump’s insistence on its difficulty continued unabated.

During an interview with Dr. Marc Siegel, Trump explained, “And then 10 minutes, 15, 20 minutes later, they say, remember the first question, not the first, but the 10th question? Give us that again. Can you do that again? And you go, ‘Person. Woman. Man. Camera. TV. It's not that easy. There were other questions tougher than what I just did. But it's not that easy. I got a perfect mark. And the doctors were--they said: Very few people can do that. Very few people get that. You understand,” as reported by ABC News.

During another interview with Chris Wallace, Trump mentioned that he has also taken a similar test, and he shared, “They have a picture and it says “what’s that?” and it’s an elephant.” Trump disagreed and exclaimed, “You see, that's all misrepresentation. It's all misrepresentation. Because, yes, the first few questions are easy, but I'll bet you couldn't even answer the last five questions. I'll bet you couldn't, they get very hard, the last five questions.”

Additionally, Trump’s attempts to pose doubt on other’s mental well-being, specifically challenging President Joe Biden, further highlights the political undertones of his cognitive test fixation. Trump asserted, “[Biden] should take the same exact test, a very standard test. I took it at Walter Reed Medical Center in front of doctors. And they were very surprised. They said that’s an unbelievable thing. Rarely does anybody do what you just did. But he should take that same test.” He further continued, “I said to the doctor — it was Dr. Ronny Jackson — I said: ‘Is there some kind of a test, an acuity test?’ And he said: ‘There actually is. And he named it, whatever it might be. And it was 30 or 35 questions.” 

Editor's note: This article was originally published on March 2, 2024. It has since been updated.