Former President Donald Trump called on 81-year-old President Joe Biden to take a cognitive exam Thursday morning, just hours after the commander-in-chief’s doctor said he was “fit to serve” following his annual physical exam.
White House Dr. Kevin O’Connor said Wednesday that there were “no new concerns” identified during the physical and described Biden as “healthy, active, and robust.” Biden did not receive a cognitive test during his exam despite many lawmakers and voters expressing concern over the president’s mental state, especially after special counsel Robert Hur’s report on the president’s handling of classified documents that said Biden would likely present himself to a jury as a “well-meaning elderly man with a poor memory.”
“Crooked Joe Biden must take a Cognitive Test,” Trump, 77, posted on Truth Social. “Maybe that way we would be able to find out why he makes such terrible decisions. I took two of them, and ACED them both (no mistakes!). All Presidents, or people wanting to become President, should mandatorily take this test!”
When asked about Biden taking a cognitive test on Wednesday, White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre dismissed concerns about the president’s mental capacity, saying that he “passes a cognitive test every day” by leading the country.
“The president doesn’t need a cognitive test,” Jean-Pierre said. “That is not my assessment. That is not my assessment. That is the assessment of the president’s doctor. That is also the assessment of the neurologist who has also made that assessment as well.”
“The president, who is also the commander-in-chief — he passes a cognitive test every day — every day, as he moves from one topic to another topic, trying — understanding the granular level of these topics,” she added. “You saw him talk about fighting crime today. Tomorrow, he’s going to go to the border. Next week, he’s going to give a State of the Union address.”
Trump has repeatedly mocked Biden’s apparent mental lapses. Most recently, the Republican Party presidential frontrunner acted out on stage the president having trouble knowing where to go after speaking at an event.
Trump mocks Biden getting lost on stage.pic.twitter.com/HLVDRqIkwG
— Citizen Free Press (@CitizenFreePres) February 24, 2024
Biden shot back at his opponent’s criticism of his age during an appearance on “Late Night with Seth Myers” on Tuesday. After Myers asked the president to address concerns about his age heading into the 2024 election, Biden pointed to Trump.
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“You gotta take a look at the other guy. He’s about as old as I am, but he can’t even remember his wife’s name,” Biden said, adding, “It’s about how old your ideas are. [Trump] is a guy who wants to take us back. He wants to take us back on Roe v. Wade, he wants to take us back on a whole range of issues that [for] 50, 60 years, they’ve been solid American positions.”
President Biden (@POTUS) addresses concerns about his age. pic.twitter.com/2oRMYFNajq
— Late Night with Seth Meyers (@LateNightSeth) February 27, 2024
Biden’s claim that Trump forgot the name of his wife Melania was likely a reference to a speech the former president gave at CPAC last week when he referenced Mercedes Schlapp, the wife of CPAC Chair Matt Schlapp, while he was also talking about Melania.
“I made the statement that Melania was very popular because when I mentioned her name, the audience went wild,” Trump said in a video message addressing Biden’s comment. “I then looked at the two people, man and wife, Matt and Mercedes Schlapp. And I said, ‘Wow, they really liked the first lady.’ So this got taken as the fact that I thought Mercedes was the first lady … Has nothing to do with that.”
“These people are really dishonest. They are absolutely something,” Trump added. “They have a horrible candidate who’s a horrible president.”