Donald Trump told supporters in Florida on Friday that a doctor had described him as a 'mad genius' after he allegedly aced a 'tough' brain test, using the claim to argue that his cognitive health remains strong as he nears 80.
The remarks came after months of scrutiny over Trump's mental and physical condition during his second term in the White House. Concerns have been fuelled by reports of repeated cognitive assessments, an MRI scan in October 2025, and public appearances in which he appeared todoze off during Cabinet meetingsand other political events. Speculation has also focused on visible signs such as swollen ankles and what appear to be make-up and bandages on his hands to conceal bruises.
Speaking at The Villages, a sprawling retirement community in central Florida, Trump began on familiar policy ground, discussing Social Security benefits and federal taxes, before abruptly veering into what has become one of his favourite set pieces, the story of hiscognitive tests.
Trump:I'm the only president to take a cognitive test because I don't think Obama could pass it. Biden? Give me a break.pic.twitter.com/61E3jc5yYK
'I don't think [Barack] Obama could pass it,' he told the audience, according to remarks reported from the event. '[Joe] Biden? Give me a break.' He then launched into an almost vaudeville-style description of the exam, starting with what he called the easy part.
'You know, the first question's very easy. It's a lion, a giraffe, a bear and a shark. They say, "Which one is the bear?" And everybody says ohhh – 30 questions. Very standard, very standard test, but very tough around those last 10 questions.'
Trump: They've said, 'he's a mad genius.' I didn't mind that too much. Then they said, 'he's a horrible human being.' I don't like that much. Then they said, 'he's really not a smart person at all.' I really hated that.pic.twitter.com/BdsS2RB3mr
It was during this retelling, Trump said, that a physician supposedly upgraded him from merely smart to something more eccentric. The doctor, he claimed, told him he was 'a mad genius' after seeing his performance.
From there he moved into more elaborate territory, reconstructing what he described as one of the 'tough' numerical challenges.
'They say, "Take a number, any number." Ok, I'll take 99. "Multiply times nine." Ok. "Divide it by three." Good. "Add 4,293." That's good. "Divide by two. Subtract 93. Divide by 9. What is your answer?" Now, they go a little slower than that, but not much,' Trump said, rattling off the sequence.
Source: International Business Times UK
