Trump Defends Mental Fitness After Polls Show Record Distrust in His Cognitive Health

President Donald Trump derailed his scheduled speech on Monday to assert his mental fitness, following new polling data that shows a record number of Americans believe he has lost his mind.

“I feel the same as I felt 50 years ago, I don’t know,” Trump told attendees at a small business summit at the White House. “I’ll say, ‘I’m not feeling well’—well, someday, I might say that to you, and you’ll be the first to know. Actually I won’t have to say it, because you’ll be able to see it, just like you did in the last administration.”

Trump: I took three cognitive tests. They are hard. Many people in this room couldn’t ace them. The first question is you have a lion, a bear, an alligator, and a what's another good, a squirrel, OK? Which is the squirrel?
pic.twitter.com/8GusHR4vy0— Acyn (@Acyn) May 4, 2026

Americans have already observed signs of Trump’s apparent cognitive decline: A recent poll found that 59% of Americans do not believe Trump has the mental acuity to serve as president, and 55% think he is not in physical shape to do so.

Trump continued to advocate for mandatory cognitive testing of presidential candidates, stating, “No president has ever taken one except me, and I’ve taken three of them. And I’ve aced each one.” He then described the test, which resembles the Montreal Cognitive Assessment—a 10-minute evaluation designed to detect dementia or Alzheimer’s, not intelligence.

“You know the first question is very easy,” Trump said. “They always show the first question, it’s: You have a lion, a bear, an alligator, and a—what’s another good—a squirrel, OK? Which is the squirrel?” He claimed the questions escalated in difficulty.

Trump then launched into a tirade against California Governor Gavin Newsom before returning to his point. “I think everyone in this room is brilliant, but nobody’s gonna get all 30 questions correct. Nobody. ’Cause when you get to those last questions they’re pretty hard, you got to be pretty sharp.

‘One doctor said, ‘It’s the first time I’ve ever seen anyone get all questions right.’ That’s a doctor, who does this stuff for a living. And I did it three times. So, I don’t know. I think I’m done with those days, I’m tired of taking those tests,’” Trump said.

He later pivoted to emphasize the importance of selecting an intelligent leader during wartime. Trump falsely claimed that his military campaign in Iran lasted six weeks, despite the Strait of Hormuz being closed for over two months. He also inaccurately stated that the Vietnam War lasted 19 years (the U.S. was involved for eight) and that the Iraq War spanned 10 to 12 years (it lasted eight).