President Donald Trump is once again making headlines with his comments about two of his most vocal Democratic critics, Representatives Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Jasmine Crockett—this time suggesting they take IQ tests to “see who comes out best.”
Speaking to reporters at the White House on Tuesday before departing for an energy and artificial intelligence summit in Pittsburgh, the 79-year-old president reignited his long-running habit of questioning the intelligence of political opponents.
“AOC, look, I think she’s very nice. But she’s very low-IQ, and we really don’t need low-IQ,” Trump said. “Between her and Crockett, we’re going to give them both an IQ test to see who comes out best.” The remarks were aimed at Ocasio-Cortez, 35, of New York, and Crockett, 44, of Texas—both among the youngest members of Congress and frequent critics of Trump and his policies.
Crockett responded to a similar jab from Trump in March by saying she would “absolutely” take an IQ test “head-to-head” against the president. Trump went on to praise his own cognitive ability, referencing a previous test he took while at Walter Reed Medical Center. “Now, I took my test. I took a real test at Walter Reed Medical Center, and I aced it. I got every one of those questions right. Now it’s time for them to take a test,” he said.
He appeared to be referring to the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA)—a routine screening used to detect early signs of cognitive impairment. The test includes simple tasks such as drawing a clock or remembering a short list of words. It does not measure intelligence or IQ.
Despite frequently describing himself as a “very stable genius” with “one of the highest” IQs, Trump has never publicly released any IQ test scores. Moreover, he has gone to great lengths to keep his academic records private.
His former attorney, Michael Cohen, testified before Congress in 2019, stating that Trump had instructed him to threaten his former schools and the College Board with legal action to prevent the release of his grades or SAT scores. Cohen provided letters sent to institutions like Fordham University, where Trump studied before transferring to the University of Pennsylvania.
Further casting doubt on Trump’s academic claims, his late sister Maryanne Trump Barry was reported to have alleged that someone else took the SAT on his behalf. The claim was made public by Trump’s niece, Mary Trump, in her 2020 book, Too Much and Never Enough: How My Family Created the World’s Most Dangerous Man.
Although Trump continues to guard his own academic history, he regularly labels critics as “low-IQ”—a term he previously used against Crockett, calling her a “lowlife” with “very low IQ.” The political back-and-forth adds fuel to an already tense atmosphere as the 2024 election cycle heats up, with both sides digging in for another round of rhetorical battles.