Michael Cohen—who previously worked as former President Donald Trump's personal attorney and fixer but since falling from grace become one of Trump's biggest critics—criticized him for bragging once again about acing an intelligence test that was actually an assessment to check for cognitive impairment.
Cohen issued his remarks after Trump claimed during an Ohio rally he took the test to prove he is more intelligent than “radical left maniacs.”
Cohen noted Trump talking about "how smart he is" should "offend" everyone.
You can hear what he said in the video below.
Trump has often boasted that an intelligence test he took in 2018 confirmed he is highly intelligence.
In fact, the "intelligence test" Trump bragged about was actually a Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA), a widely used screening assessment for detecting cognitive impairment.
MoCA was designed to assess different cognitive domains, including attention and concentration, executive functions, memory, language, visuoconstructional skills, conceptual thinking, calculations, and orientation.
The assessment's questions are simple and ask test subjects to demonstrate if they can remember five words. Cohen stressed that it is unimpressive that Trump can remember five words–namely “person, woman, man, camera, TV”–as Trump demonstrated at one point on live television.
Cohen said:
"No, Donald: The only people who are amazed [by the test results] are you, you, and you. It's not amazing that you can remember five words, if in fact you actually even remember those five words."
"It's the same thing as when you paid off the doctor, to turn around and to tell him, that he needs to go ahead and tell the whole world that you're the healthiest President in the history of this country. But you're not and everyone knows you're not."
"All we have to do is look at you and we know you're not the healthiest President. When was the last time you actually went for a jog? When was the last time you actually went for a walk?"
"It's absolutely a joke that people are buying into your bulls*it day in and day out."
Cohen suggested that the fact that Trump had him write numerous letters to different schools in an effort to conceal his transcripts and scores on standardized tests is proof enough that his cognitive abilities are nowhere near what he has publicly claimed.
Many concurred with Cohen's observations.
Trump has often boasted that he is of sound mind and that President Joe Biden is "mentally frail," a claim has become a favorite talking point in conservative circles.
However, claims Biden has a cognitive impairment are unfounded.
In September 2020, ABC News reported the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) withheld intelligence warning of Russian disinformation attacking Biden to promote "allegations about poor mental health."
The intelligence bulletin, titled "Russia Likely to Denigrate Health of US Candidates to Influence 2020 Election," said American intelligence determined Russian operatives are sowing disinformation to convince the American electorate Biden has dementia and would be unfit to serve in office.
But the fact that the bulletin has discredited allegations about Biden's mental health has not stopped prominent conservatives from claiming that Biden is very much at the mercy of his handlers.
Among the most prominent adherents to this conspiracy theory is Representative Ronny Jackson, a Texas Republican who has remained a largely controversial figure since his days as the White House doctor (and to whom Cohen referred in his remarks).
During a January 2018 press briefing, Jackson vouched for Trump's health, saying his neurological functions are excellent and assuring the press corps that he would be able to serve his entire term.
Jackson was widely mocked after adding that Trump likely had "incredible genes" that allowed him to remain healthy despite a lack of exercise and a taste for fast food.
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