What objective cognitive assessments of President Trump, if any, have been released or described by official medical teams?
Executive summary
The only objective cognitive examination publicly attributed to President Trump by official White House medical statements is the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA), which was reported as “30 out of 30” in 2018 and again in White House documentation for 2025; the White House physician’s April 11, 2025 memorandum also reported a comprehensive neurological exam with “no abnormalities” [1] [2]. Outside physicians and commentators have offered divergent interpretations—some alleging stroke or decline based on observed behavior and selective imaging reporting—but those claims are not documented as formal cognitive assessments released by the president’s medical team [3] [4].
1. What the White House has released: MoCA scores and a neurologic exam
The official, published record is limited and specific: Rear Admiral Ronny Jackson announced in 2018 that the president took the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) and scored 30/30, and the White House physician’s April 11, 2025 memorandum states that cognitive function assessed with the MoCA was “normal with a score of 30 out of 30” and that a comprehensive neurological exam revealed no abnormalities in mental status, cranial nerves, motor/sensory function, reflexes, gait, and balance [1] [2].
2. Additional official descriptions and physician confirmations
White House doctors and spokespeople reiterated that the MoCA had been administered in 2018 and 2025 and reported perfect scores; former and current White House physicians have publicly described administering or overseeing the screening as part of the president’s executive physicals [5] [6]. Public statements and social-media posts by the president and the White House further emphasized that he “aced” multiple cognitive examinations, language that the medical team echoed in summaries of his physicals [7] [8].
3. What the MoCA is—and what it is not—according to reporting and expert summaries
The MoCA is a brief, validated screening tool designed to detect mild cognitive impairment; it is widely used as an initial screen but is not a comprehensive neuropsychological battery capable of fully characterizing subtle deficits or diagnosing every cognitive disorder [5] [9]. Medical reporting and analyses note that a perfect MoCA score is consistent with normal performance on a screening test but does not preclude the need for more detailed testing if there are sustained clinical concerns [5] [9].
4. Imaging and other tests: official framing vs. outside interpretation
White House disclosures and reporting focus on cardiovascular and abdominal advanced imaging performed in October—ultimately described by officials as a CT scan rather than an MRI—conducted for cardiovascular evaluation rather than as part of cognitive testing; the president’s physician said imaging was driven by routine screening priorities for his age group [8] [10] [2]. Independent physicians and commentators have pointed to public videos, bruising, and behavioral episodes to suggest events such as a stroke, but those assertions are not presented as formal findings from the president’s official medical team and are supported in the public record only by interpretation, not by released clinical imaging reports or neuroimaging reads [3] [4] [11].
5. What has not been released or remains unknown
No White House release has published raw MoCA testing materials, item-by-item scoring beyond the aggregate 30/30, or results from extended neuropsychological batteries, formal cognitive neuroscience testing, or detailed imaging reports tied to neurologic interpretation; reporting is therefore limited to screening results and summary clinical impressions from the White House physician [2] [5]. External experts differ over whether the available public materials are sufficient to settle questions about nuanced cognitive function, and independent claims of stroke or other acute neurologic events remain outside the set of objective assessments officially released [4] [3].