When Donald Trump called Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (AOC) “low IQ” aboard Air Force One, he probably didn’t expect to be clocked by her comeback. Quite obviously, pun intended! Within hours, AOC had fired back on X (formerly Twitter): “Out of curiosity, did those doctors ask you to draw a clock by any chance? Was that part hard for you, too? Asking for 340 million people.”
It was a typical reaction from this congresswoman from New York, as she consistently makes fun of Trump’s insults and raises awareness around his cognitive health. A growing public concern regarding the basic cognitive abilities of America’s aging leaders was at the heart of the joke, though. Trump’s latest dig came as he once again bragged about his performance on a cognitive test at Walter Reed.
But the test he keeps referencing, known as the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA), isn’t an IQ test. It’s a screening tool used to detect early signs of cognitive decline. And yes, it really does ask participants to identify animals (as Trump owned up to) and draw clocks (as AOC mocked). The Montreal Cognitive Assessment evaluates memory, attention, and visuospatial skills, which all indicate brain health. Questions include identifying a camel, repeating sequences, and drawing an analog clock showing a specific time.
So when Trump treats it as proof of his superior intelligence — and suggests that women like AOC or Jasmine Crockett would fail it — we don’t even know what to say! The test isn’t hard unless (as California Governor Gavin Newsom noted) a doctor is worried about your brain anyway. That’s what made AOC point out the irony of a man who mistakes a dementia screening for a brainpower trophy.
BREAKING: OUCH! Democratic superstar Congresswoman AOC hilariously claps back at Donald Trump after he insulted her as “low IQ” and bragged about his dementia test.
You don’t mess with the Bronx…
“Hello Mr. President! Out of curiosity, did those doctors ask you to draw a clock… pic.twitter.com/ichAOVOXb3
— Occupy Democrats (@OccupyDemocrats) October 27, 2025
And jokes aside, should cognitive testing be mandatory for leaders, especially Trump, who is now pushing 80? And also, he plans to run for a third term, even if it’s unconstitutional. In 2020, he told Fox News he aced the same test (with person, woman, man, camera, TV) as if it were a Mensa exam. Now he’s still using it as a flex for his “exceptional” mental health. According to Axios, Trump confirmed taking a cognitive test during a visit to Walter Reed, along with an MRI scan for reasons not even disclosed to Karoline Leavitt.
The White House report declared him in “exceptional health,” though he didn’t explain why he needed the scans in the first place. That’s why AOC’s remark reminded voters that cognitive fitness is a matter of national interest. Ideally, all presidential candidates should undergo regular cognitive and health screenings, with the results made public. The issue transcends party lines; anyone from Joe Biden and Trump to Mitch McConnell and Nancy Pelosi should be taking such tests.
So when AOC skewered Trump with her clock comment, she reminded everyone that intelligence isn’t measured by how many times you can say ‘person, woman, man, camera, TV’ — but by how you respond under scrutiny. And on that front, AOC understood the assignment.
