Jim Acosta recreated a cognitive exam President Donald Trump has repeatedly boasted about taking, and he scored a perfect result despite missing a point. The former White House correspondent framed the test as “instructive,” saying Trump’s public claims about
Jim Acosta didn’t stage the test like a stunt. He sat down with Dr. Rob Davidson—an executive director of The Committee to Protect Health Care—and did exactly what President Donald Trump has bragged about doing three times: taking a cognitive test and “acing” it.
Acosta told Davidson on Saturday that he and the doctor were running the exercise for a reason. “We’re doing this to drive home a point that this is not something that a president should be bragging about, that he aces these tests, and also just to see what it’s like.”
The choice wasn’t random. Earlier this month, Trump described taking a cognitive exam that, based on how he talked about the questions, has been widely linked to the Montreal Cognitive Assessment, a test designed to detect signs of cognitive decline and dementia.
In Trump’s telling, he wasn’t simply tested—he was exceptional. “I’ve taken three,” he said. “No president, think of this, has ever taken one.”
Trump also complained that the media focuses on the easiest parts of the exam. He said, “by the time you get to the middle, they’re tough” and “when you get to those last questions, they’re pretty hard.”
In Acosta’s video, the test plays out in full view, question by question. Some of the harder items included copying a cube drawing and counting backward from 100 by sevens. The session also included identifying animals, repeating back numbers and words, and drawing a clock.
Acosta missed one point. He forgot one of several words that had been said to him just minutes earlier. Under the test’s scoring system, that mistake still rounded up to a perfect score.
“I totally aced it,” Acosta said in a voice imitating Trump.
He made clear he wasn’t trying to mock people who genuinely use the test for diagnostic purposes. “I shouldn’t joke too much because there are people who have taken this. and families go through all this stuff. and whatnot. ” he said. “But I will say that it is totally nuts that he claims that this is some sort of measurement of his IQ.”.
Trump’s public comparisons have landed in the political world before. Last year, Trump called Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) and Rep. Jasmine Crockett (D-Texas) “low IQ,” challenging them to go head-to-head with him on cognitive tests. He said. “They’re really aptitude tests. I guess. in a certain way. but they’re cognitive tests. ” and then pressed the point: “Let AOC go against Trump. Let Jasmine go against Trump.”.
For Acosta, the experience itself hit differently than the bragging. “I think this is instructive and I’m glad we did this,” he told Davidson.
When he recapped what the doctor asked him, the contrast between everyday questioning and Trump-style spectacle became harder to ignore. Acosta said, “You were asking me what city I’m in. You’re asking me what day of the week it is. You’re asking me what a lion is. You know, this is very basic stuff.”.
The test ended with Acosta’s perfect score, but the message was pointed: the kind of screening tool that families and clinicians use to understand cognitive changes shouldn’t be treated like proof of dominance on camera.
Jim Acosta Donald Trump cognitive test Montreal Cognitive Assessment cognitive decline dementia Dr. Rob Davidson Committee to Protect Health Care Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez Jasmine Crockett
So he “aced” it but still missed a point? Sounds rigged either way.
Wait I’m confused, Trump bragged about the test so now they’re proving he’s wrong or what. Also who cares about animals and drawing clocks, I can barely draw stick figures.
I don’t trust any of it. If you “recreate” a test like that, of course you do good. Missing one word like 3 minutes later doesn’t mean anything or it means everything, nobody knows. Media will spin it both ways.
This just feels like politics cosplay. Trump takes a test and then everyone’s acting like it’s a lie, but I’m sure the questions were the same or something. And Acosta missed one word and still got “perfect,” which is kinda funny, like the rules are made for ratings. Anyway dementia talk is wild, but they’ll keep dragging it into every headline.