It started like any other Trump press gaggle — chaotic, rambling, full of insults. But this time, the former president’s attempt to attack two Democratic congresswomen may have turned into his most humiliating self-own yet.

Speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One, Donald Trump launched into a tirade against Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (AOC) and Rep. Jasmine Crockett, calling them “low IQ people” and challenging them to take what he called the “very hard tests” he’d taken at Walter Reed Medical Center.

“They have Jasmine Crockett, a low IQ person. They have AOC’s low IQ. Have her pass the exams I took when I was at Walter Reed. I took — those are very hard, they’re really aptitude tests, I guess, at a certain point — but they’re cognitive tests. Let AOC go against Trump,” he rambled.

Then, Trump elaborated.

“The first couple of questions are easy — a tiger, an elephant, a giraffe, you know. But when you get up to 10, 20, 25 — they couldn’t come close to answering those.”

The problem? Those “tests” aren’t IQ or aptitude tests at all — they’re dementia screening exams, designed to evaluate basic memory and cognitive function in elderly patients.

From Self-Brag to Self-Exposure

The internet exploded within minutes of the clip circulating.

Medical professionals and political analysts alike pointed out that Trump had once again confused a cognitive screening for intelligence testing — and in doing so, publicly reminded America that doctors at Walter Reed were concerned about his mental decline.

“He just bragged about passing a dementia test,” tweeted one neurologist.

“That’s like bragging you can spell your own name.”

Experts Weigh In

Psychologist Dr. John Gartner, a former Johns Hopkins faculty member and Trump biographer, told The Daily Beast that the president’s recent behavior shows a “massive increase in clinical signs of dementia.”

“He’s exhibiting clear memory loss, disorganized speech, and delusional thinking,” Gartner said.

“His malignant narcissism is now being fueled by cognitive deterioration. The more he declines, the more grandiose he becomes.”

Another mental health professional, Dr. Bandy Lee, commented,

“This is beyond gaffes. This is neurological. What’s dangerous isn’t that he’s ill — it’s that he’s in denial about it while wielding enormous power.”

Projection, Racism, and Fear

Critics also pointed out that Trump’s “low IQ” insults directed at women of color — AOC and Crockett — have become a recurring theme in his rhetoric.

Journalist Mehdi Hasan noted:

“He uses the same line against any outspoken Black or Latina woman — because deep down, he fears them. Projection is everything with Trump.”

Indeed, Trump’s repeated labeling of his critics as “low IQ” has long been interpreted as projection — accusing others of the very traits he fears being recognized in himself.

The Internet Reacts: ‘25th Amendment Now’

As clips of the exchange spread, hashtags like #DementiaDon, #CognitiveCollapse, and #25thAmendmentNow began trending across X (formerly Twitter).

Comedian Noel Casler, who once worked with Trump on The Apprentice, tweeted:

“He’s not joking. Those are literally dementia tests. The fact that he thinks they’re hard should terrify everyone.”

Another viral comment read:

“Imagine calling two women ‘low IQ’ while bragging about naming a giraffe correctly.”

Pattern of Decline

Observers note this isn’t the first time Trump has confused cognitive tests for intelligence assessments. In 2020, he famously told Fox News host Chris Wallace that he had “aced” a “very difficult” test — describing one question as identifying an image of a camel.

“Person. Woman. Man. Camera. TV.”

That clip became infamous, and now — four years later — history seems to be repeating itself. Only this time, the signs are more pronounced, and the tone far more concerning.

Inside the Campaign Panic

Sources within Trump’s campaign reportedly scrambled to contain the fallout.

“Everyone’s used to his rants,” one insider told Rolling Stone. “But this one scared people. The dementia thing — he just said it out loud. There’s no walking that back.”

According to aides, staffers immediately cut off questions from the press and ushered the president toward his cabin. But the damage was done.

A Nation Watching — and Worrying

The episode reignited a broader conversation about presidential fitness and mental competency.

Political scientist Heather Cox Richardson summarized it bluntly:

“It’s no longer about partisanship. It’s about cognition.”

Even some Republicans privately admitted concern.

One GOP strategist told NBC anonymously:

“You can’t keep pretending he’s fine when he’s bragging about dementia tests on national television.”

Conclusion: The Emperor Has No Clue

What began as an insult toward two women in Congress ended as a moment of historic self-humiliation.

By trying to paint AOC and Jasmine Crockett as unintelligent, Trump accidentally reminded the world of his own cognitive struggles — and exposed just how far gone the façade of control has fallen.

As one viral tweet put it best:

“He said ‘low IQ,’ but what he really meant was ‘low awareness.’”

And maybe, just maybe, the scariest part isn’t that he doesn’t know the difference —

it’s that no one around him dares to tell him.