Trump’s ‘Squirrel’ Remark While Boasting Of Cognitive Test Draws Online Mockery

Last Updated:May 05, 2026, 23:41 IST

Trump said he had taken the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) three times and claimed to have scored perfectly on each occasion

US President Donald Trump has once again drawn attention on social media after boasting about “acing" a cognitive screening test, with his unusual reference to a “squirrel" during a public speech triggering widespread ridicule and confusion online.

Speaking at the White House Small Business Summit on Tuesday, Trump said he had taken the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) three times and claimed to have scored perfectly on each occasion.

According to Trump, one doctor told him it was the first time they had seen anyone achieve a flawless score.

Describing the test, Trump said the opening questions were “very easy" before launching into a rambling example.

“You have a lion, a bear, an alligator, and a, what’s another good…? A squirrel. Which is the squirrel?" he said, prompting laughter and disbelief online.

He added that the test becomes “very tough" by the middle, again stressing that he answered all questions correctly.

The remarks quickly sparked reactions on social media platform X, where users mocked both the example and Trump’s continued emphasis on the test.

Several users described the comments as bizarre, with others joking that he was “still flexing" over identifying the squirrel. Some defended Trump, while many questioned why he continued to highlight the assessment publicly.

Adding context to the debate, the creator of the MoCA, Canadian neurologist Ziad Nasreddine, dismissed suggestions that the test measures intelligence or brilliance.

“It wasn’t designed to be a test of IQ," Nasreddine told an Australian news outlet. “It was designed to assess normal cognitive performance."

The MoCA is a short clinical screening tool used in about 200 countries to detect signs of cognitive impairment, including dementia and Alzheimer’s disease.

It includes tasks such as drawing a clock, recalling words and identifying the date and location. The average score is 26 out of 30, and Nasreddine said roughly 10 per cent of people in Trump’s age group score full marks.

“He’s proud that he can show his cognition is fine," Nasreddine said, noting that the test is intentionally simple for healthy adults.

A perfect score, he added, indicates the absence of noticeable impairment but does not imply exceptional cognitive ability. He also stressed that the assessment should be administered by trained professionals rather than self-conducted.

News world Trump’s ‘Squirrel’ Remark While Boasting Of Cognitive Test Draws Online Mockery

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