What IQ scores have been claimed for Donald Trump and who made those claims?
Executive summary
Multiple, conflicting IQ figures have circulated about Donald Trump: some online posts claim a low score of 73 (debunked by fact‑checkers) while other outlets and commentators have cited much higher, unverified numbers such as “around 145”; Trump himself has publicly boasted of high cognitive exam results including a perfect 30 on a screening test (MoCA) during 2025 reporting [1] [2] [3]. Available sources do not provide a verified, official IQ test score for Trump [4] [1].
1. The “73” claim — origin, spread and debunks
A viral claim asserted that Trump scored 73 on an IQ test taken during his first year at the New York Military Academy; that story tied to a purported discovery of old test results and a fictitious former staffer. Multiple fact‑checking organizations and reporting trace the assertion to social posts and a meme‑style graphic, and find no credible evidence the academy administered such a test or that the documents exist, concluding the 73 claim is false or unproven [1] [5] [6]. Full Fact specifically states there is no evidence Trump has an IQ of 73 and cites academy alumni who said the school did not give those IQ tests and that the counselor in the story “did not exist” [1].
2. High‑IQ figures — repetition without verification
Opposite the low‑score rumor are frequently repeated high numbers — for example, “around 145” appears in some online articles and blogs. Those figures are generally cited without a primary source or an official test release; they circulate as estimates or partisan talking points rather than documented, administered IQ results [2]. Operationselfreset and other commentary pieces emphasise that Trump’s “IQ score has never been officially released,” underscoring that such high‑end estimates are not substantiated by a verifiable test report [4].
3. Trump’s own claims and cognitive screening reports
Trump has repeatedly boasted of his cognitive performance. Reporting from April 2025 records Trump saying he “got the highest mark” on a cognitive exam administered as part of his physical, and he and some doctors have been cited claiming a perfect 30/30 on the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) screening [3] [4]. Independent experts and test creators, however, note the MoCA is a dementia‑screening tool and is not an IQ test; sources in later coverage (2025–2025 reporting in the compiled set) point out there are no studies showing MoCA scores correlate with formal IQ tests [7]. Available sources do not provide an official, independently published IQ score tied to Trump.
4. Why different numbers persist — memetics, politics and test confusion
The persistence of divergent scores reflects three realities evident in the sources: meme culture and social platforms amplify sensational, easily shareable numbers such as “73” or inflated “156/145” figures without documentary evidence [1] [2]; political actors — including Trump himself — use references to cognitive tests rhetorically to attack opponents or bolster credibility, which muddles public understanding [3]; and confusion between cognitive screenings (MoCA) and formal IQ tests creates plausible‑sounding but misleading claims about intelligence measurement [7].
5. What reputable fact‑checkers and reporting conclude
Fact‑checkers and mainstream reporters reached two consistent conclusions in the sources: there is no credible evidence supporting the circulated claim that Trump scored 73 on an IQ test at NYMA (Full Fact, Snopes, Yahoo fact checks) [1] [5] [6], and Trump’s public claims about cognitive tests (for instance, a perfect MoCA result) do not equate to publication of an IQ score nor validate unsubstantiated high‑IQ numbers [4] [3] [7].
6. Limitations and what’s not found in current reporting
Available sources do not contain any verified, original IQ test documents or a confirmed, professionally administered IQ score for Donald Trump; they also do not provide peer‑reviewed evidence linking MoCA scores to standard IQ metrics [4] [7]. Where sources attribute numbers (low or high), those attributions typically originate from social posts, opinion pieces, or Trump’s own statements rather than released test records [1] [2] [3].
7. Bottom line for readers
Treat specific IQ numbers attached to Donald Trump skeptically: the widely circulated “73” has been debunked by fact‑checkers [1], high estimates like “around 145” are unverified speculation [2] [4], and Trump’s cited perfect MoCA results are a cognitive‑screening claim, not publication of an IQ score [3] [7]. Transparency would require an official test report from a recognized psychometric evaluation, which is not present in the available reporting [4] [1].