Why Did Trump Get A Cognitive Test -- And Why Are Doctors Surprised He Did Well?

By Susie Madrak — July 10, 2020

CNN's John Berman wondered why Trump claimed he recently aced a cognitive test.

I actually took one very recently when I was, you know, the radical left was saying 'Is he all there, is he all there?' I proved I was all there because I aced it, I aced the test and he should take the same 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 is an unbelievable thing. Rarely does anyone do what you did.'

"Bear with me here," Berman said.

"If true, and this is a big if, why do doctors give him the test at all? Was there some concern? Was this the unexplained trip to Walter Reed in the fall? If so, what was the event that was so pressing, he had to be tested on an unannounced weekend visit? Now, maybe he was lying about taking the test, which speaks to his moral fiber more than his cognitive ability. Or maybe he means the test he took two-and-a-half years ago. If that's the case, one could question why his mind processed that as very recent.

But the real doozy of a question is this. No matter when he took the test or if he took it, the president brags that doctors were surprised that he did well. Let that sink in. Why would they be surprised he passed? What was so different about his behavior or his test score that led to this shock? If doctors are surprised you do well on a cognitive test, I'm not sure that is something you want to brag about."

"It is a little like being surprised you passed a sobriety test, something was still wrong that made you have to take that sobriety test. But on a serious note, John, I think that you raise great questions, Hannity last night called for Joe Biden to release the results of his cognitive test, and his medical records," Alysin Camerota said.

She said she'd like to see Trump's medical records and cognitive test.

"That's all true. But I think is at an even higher than that. Think about how his mind processed what he is saying. Bragging that doctors were surprised that he did well on a cognitive test. That is someone saying oh, you're only 45 years old? You only look a day over 60. Or really, you're 175? With that gut you look like the spitting image of 230. I'm shocked his brain is processing it like this."

"Also, it is important for our president to have mental acuity. There are questions. If you read through some of the president's transcripts, the fragments of thoughts and the stream of consciousness, sometimes can make you wonder if there is connective tissue happening between these thoughts. So yes, ,ore information would be better to see the candidate and the president's results," Camerota said.

"And there are 133,000 Americans dead in this pandemic," Berman concluded.

Discussion

We welcome relevant, respectful comments. Any comments that are sexist or in any other way deemed hateful by our staff will be deleted and constitute grounds for a ban from posting on the site. Please refer to our Terms of Service for information on our posting policy.