Trump calls for requiring presidential candidates to take cognitive exams

Trump famously faced calls during the 2016 campaign to take a cognitive exam and mental health became a campaign issue during the 2024 cycle.

By Ben Whedon

Published: April 30, 2026 2:04pm

President Donald Trump on Thursday called for requiring presidential candidates to take cognitive exams, echoing his own critics, who pressured him to do so during his 2016 campaign.

"Anybody running for President or Vice President should be forced to take a Cognitive Examination prior to entering the Race!" he posted on Truth Social. "By doing so, we wouldn’t be surprised at people like Barack 'Hussein' Obama, or Sleepy Joe Biden, getting 'ELECTED.'"

"Our Country would be a much better place! I took the Exam three times during my (“THREE!”) Terms as President, and ACED IT ALL THREE TIMES — An Achievement that, even on a single Exam, according to the Doctors, has rarely been done before!" he added.

Trump famously faced calls during the 2016 campaign to take a cognitive exam and mental health became a campaign issue during the 2024 cycle. Trump repeatedly criticized President Joe Biden over apparent cognitive decline.

The sole 2024 debate between the pair, however, saw Biden appear confused and distracted. The fallout ultimately led him to drop out of the race.

Ben Whedon is the Chief Political Correspondent at Just the News. Follow him on X.