Trump Wasted An Entire White House Meeting Trying To Convince His Aides That He’s Mentally Fit

Last updated on July 18th, 2023 at 12:04 pm

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Donald Trump freaked out in a White House meeting earlier this month over growing criticism that he isn’t physically or mentally fit to be president.

According to The Washington Post, “The early June meeting in the Cabinet Room was intended as a general update on President Trump’s reelection campaign, but the president had other topics on his mind.”

In the meeting, Trump rambled about how well he did on a cognitive exam two years ago and even proposed challenging former Vice President Joe Biden to take the same test.

According to the report, Trump bragged about acing certain sections of the test, including a part where he had to repeat five words in order.

More from The Washington Post:

Trump had taken a cognitive screening test as part of his 2018 physical, and now, more than two years later, he brought up the 10-minute exam. He waxed on about how he’d dazzled the proctors with his stellar performance, according to two people familiar with his comments. He walked the room of about two dozen White House and reelection officials through some of the questions he said he’d aced, such as being able to repeat five words in order.

At the time, the Montreal Cognitive Assessment — which includes animal pictures and other simple queries aimed at detecting mild cognitive impairment such as dementia — was intended to quell questions about Trump’s mental fitness. But in recalling it, Trump said he thought presumptive Democratic nominee Joe Biden would never be able to pass it and suggested challenging him to take the test, said the people familiar with Trump’s comments, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to share private details.

The seeming non sequitur was part of Trump’s growing preoccupation in recent weeks over perceptions of his mental and physical health, at a time when critics have mocked him for episodes in which they say he has appeared frail or confused. The attacks Trump has previously levied against Biden — dismissing the former vice president as “Sleepy Joe,” secreted away in his basement and enfeebled — have boomeranged back on him, as opponents have seized on Trump’s own missteps to raise concerns.

The meeting reported by The Post came before Trump’s infamous walk down a ramp following a West Point commencement address.

During his poorly attended Tulsa rally over the weekend, the president made it clear that he is as obsessed as ever over perceptions of his mental and physical fitness.

Meanwhile, the country needs a president

As Trump spends his days obsessing over what cable news is saying about his health, the country remains mired in multiple crises.

From the coronavirus outbreak to the economic downturn to widespread protests over systemic racism, the United States is going through one of the most turbulent times in history. Having a strong, competent leader is as important ever it’s ever been.

Unfortunately, Donald Trump is more obsessed with looking tough on TV than actually being a leader.

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Sean Colarossi

Sean Colarossi currently resides in Cleveland, Ohio. He earned his Bachelor of Arts degree in Journalism from the University of Massachusetts Amherst and was an organizing fellow for both of President Obama’s presidential campaigns. He also worked with Planned Parenthood as an Affordable Care Act Outreach Organizer in 2014, helping northeast Ohio residents obtain health insurance coverage.