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Has Donald J. Trump ever released an IQ test score publicly?
Executive Summary
Donald J. Trump has not publicly released an IQ test score; multiple independent fact-checkers and news organizations find no credible evidence of a verified IQ number being disclosed by Trump, and widely circulated claims — including a purported score of 73 from school years — have been debunked as fabricated. Trump has repeatedly boasted about “acing” cognitive or aptitude tests and has cited taking cognitive screenings during presidential physicals, but he has not produced formal IQ test documentation or a verified numeric score for public scrutiny [1] [2] [3].
1. The Missing Paper Trail: No Verified IQ Score Has Ever Been Released
Contemporary fact-checks and archival searches show no authenticated public release of an IQ test score for Donald Trump, and researchers who have combed news archives and social media find only unverified images or recycled graphics claiming numeric scores. Snopes and other debunkers traced a viral claim that Trump scored 73 at the New York Military Academy to a fabricated clipping, and Full Fact similarly documented that images purporting to show official results are inauthentic and have circulated since at least 2019. Institutional records and credible news archives contain no corroboration of any disclosed IQ result tied to Trump, leaving the assertion of a public IQ score unsupported by primary documentation [1] [2] [4].
2. The 73 Claim: From Viral Graphic to Confirmed Fabrication
The most circulated numeric claim — that Trump scored 73 on an IQ test — has been repeatedly debunked. Investigations found the graphic showing a 73 score stems from a phony newspaper clipping and other manipulated images that lack sourcing; former classmates and NYMA staff report no memory of standardized IQ testing being administered in that way during Trump’s time. Fact-checking organizations concluded the 73 score is a product of social-media misinformation rather than a record from an educational or psychological authority. The anti-73 findings undermine attempts to anchor any public narrative about Trump’s intelligence to a specific, verifiable test score [1] [2] [4].
3. Cognitive Screenings versus IQ Tests: Trump’s “I Aced It” Claims Explained
Trump has claimed to have “aced” cognitive tests — notably the MoCA or other brief screenings administered during medical checks — but cognitive screening instruments are not full IQ tests and do not yield a conventional IQ number. Reports note Trump underwent cognitive testing during White House physicals in 2018 and again during a 2025 secondary physical at Walter Reed; he publicly described performing well, even claiming perfect answers, but did not release any testing instruments, raw scores, or professional evaluations that would translate into an IQ metric. Medical physicians and institutions generally treat such records as private, and the published accounts document assertions of performance without providing empirical score evidence [3] [5] [6].
4. Why the Difference Matters: Medical Privacy, Test Types, and Public Interpretation
The distinction between a screening test like the MoCA and a standardized IQ battery is critical: screenings assess gross cognitive impairment or short-term function, while IQ tests measure a broader profile of intellectual ability and are administered under controlled, scored conditions. Presidents and candidates often withhold detailed medical records, so absence of disclosure can reflect privacy practice rather than proof of competency or deficiency. Media coverage has emphasized Trump’s boasts about tests and his attacks calling others “low-IQ,” which fuels political narratives on both sides; the factual record, however, remains that no official IQ score has been publicly verified or provided to independent experts for validation [3] [7] [4].
5. Political Context and Misinformation Dynamics: What to Watch For
Claims about Trump’s IQ have been leveraged by opponents to question fitness and by allies and Trump himself to assert superiority, creating a landscape where political motives shape how partial data are amplified. Viral images and recycled graphics persist even after debunking, illustrating how misinformation can outlast corrections; meanwhile, Trump’s rhetorical emphasis on “high IQ” and challenges to opponents to take cognitive exams function as political signaling rather than disclosure of verifiable psychometric evidence. For readers seeking confirmation, the only defensible conclusion based on the available evidence is that no verified, public IQ test score from Donald J. Trump exists in the public record [7] [2] [6].