DETROIT – Former President Donald Trump, while speaking in Detroit on June 15, boasted about a cognitive assessment he took while in office, aimed at showcasing his mental acuity in contrast to what he claims is President Joe Biden’s lack thereof. However, Trump immediately stumbled on the name of the doctor who oversaw the test.
Trump praised his own mental recall abilities during his speech to hard-right allies, challenging Biden to take the same cognitive exam he says he took in 2018 with then White House physician Ronny Jackson. However, Trump misnamed the former official, calling him “Doc Ronny Johnson” instead of Ronny Jackson.
“Does everyone know Ronny Johnson, congressman from Texas?” Trump asked. “He said I was the healthiest president, he feels, in history, so I liked him very much.” Ronny Jackson is now a congressman from Texas and one of Trump’s loyal supporters in Congress.
In his speech, Trump, who turned 78 on June 14, continued his attack on Biden, 81, alleging Biden’s declining mental acuity. Trump referenced an incident at the G-7 in Italy, claiming Biden was lost and looking at trees while other world leaders were observing a parachutist who had just landed. This moment is based on a video that has circulated in right-wing media and Republican circles.
However, the video Trump referred to is misleading. It has been edited to omit footage showing Biden turning away from the other G-7 leaders to gesture towards a different skydiver who had just landed to his left.