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Trump says he took a cognitive test as part of his latest physical

President Trump takes questions from reporters on Air Force One on April 11, 2025.
Mandel Ngan
/
AFP
President Trump takes questions from reporters on Air Force One on April 11, 2025.

President Trump told reporters that a cognitive exam was among the tests he had on Friday during his first physical of his second term at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, and said his doctors would deliver a report about his results in coming days.

"I took a cognitive test. And I don't know what to tell you, other than I got every answer right," Trump said. "I took just a lot of different tests, having to do with the heart, having to do with other things."

Presidents are not obligated to reveal their medical records, and there is a long history of presidents concealing their medical issues.

Trump — who has been less than forthcoming about his health information in recent years — is 78, the oldest president to start a second term in office. His predecessor former President Joe Biden started his first term at the same age, and visibly slowed down while he was in office.

A cognitive test was part of Trump's first White House physical back in 2018. Trump later recounted how he "aced" the test.

The test was not part of Biden's 2024 physical, a decision the White House had to defend after Biden struggled during his debate with Trump last summer before ultimately dropping out of the presidential race.

Copyright 2025 NPR

Danielle Kurtzleben is a political correspondent assigned to NPR's Washington Desk. She appears on NPR shows, writes for the web, and is a regular on The NPR Politics Podcast. She is covering the 2020 presidential election, with particular focuses on on economic policy and gender politics.