(ConservativeSense.com) – Democratic strategist Jessica Tarlov has dismissed the importance of cognitive tests for US Presidents and candidates, saying these are usually administered to people who have suffered traumas and are not indicative of mental competence. Speaking to Jeanine Pirro on Fox News, Ms. Tarlov said the tests involve “identifying animals and counting backward,” adding that many questions are very easy.
Former President Trump frequently cites testing he undertook at the Walter Reed Medical Center in 2018, which he says he “aced.” The National Library of Medicine describes the tests as lasting around 15 minutes and including “simple tasks” such as spelling words backward or repeating lists. The standard bearer is the Montreal Cognitive Assessment, which includes one math question involving counting backward in increments of seven.
Nevertheless, some experts say that while the questions may be easy, their purpose is not to assess a person’s overall intelligence but to look for early signs of dementia.
Mental competence has become a flashpoint in the Presidential election, mainly due to the advanced age of both the Republican and Democrat nominees. President Biden is 81 and would be 86 at the end of a second term, whereas Donald Trump is four years younger at 77.
During his first year in office, over a dozen Republicans signed a letter to President Biden asking him to undergo a cognitive exam. “Unfortunately, your mental decline and forgetfulness have become more apparent,” the letter stated. It reminded Biden that Donald Trump took the test while in office and urged him to follow suit.
Throughout the primary campaign, Trump frequently mocked President Biden, noting his stutter, stumbles, and gaffes. His Republican opponent, however, turned the tables on the former President and said he, too, was in cognitive decline. Nikki Haley questioned Trump’s mental fitness after he apparently confused her with former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, saying he’d offered her the National Guard on January 6, 2021. “I was nowhere near the Capitol on January 6,” Haley said.
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