US President Donald Trump has drawn mockery on social media after boasting about scoring perfectly on a recent cognitive test, citing a question that required him to identify a giraffe among several animals.
Trump made the remarks during a rally in Wichita, Kansas, on Monday night, where he spoke about his intelligence and his performance in the assessment before taking a swipe at members of the media.
“The first four or five are pretty easy, real easy,” Trump said. “What they do is they show you a lion, a bear, a snake, and a giraffe, and they say, ‘Which one is the giraffe?’”
He then suggested that journalists covering the rally would struggle to achieve the same result.
“None of those people back there could get a perfect score,” Trump said.
His comments quickly attracted reactions online, with critics questioning why the president was highlighting his ability to answer a question commonly associated with early childhood learning.
Gary Crooks, a former opinion page editor, responded sarcastically to Trump’s account of the test, writing on X, “Great job. Here’s a cookie.”
Max Flugrath, a communications expert, also criticised the president for presenting the question as evidence of his cognitive ability.
“The president of the United States is bragging about correctly identifying a giraffe. This is the same question posed to children in kindergarten,” Flugrath posted on X.
Another frequent critic of Trump, Thomas Pain, also weighed in, mocking the president’s claim.
“For a MAGA, this is a great achievement,” he posted on X.
The controversy comes as Trump continues to travel across the United States to campaign for Republican candidates ahead of the midterm elections. In recent weeks, he has held rallies in Republican-leaning states, including Texas and Kansas, where some GOP candidates are facing competitive contests.
Trump has maintained that his campaign appearances are helping to increase support for vulnerable Republican candidates. However, some election experts have argued that the rallies may have limited impact given the approaching elections.
His latest remarks have now shifted attention from the campaign message to his comments about the cognitive assessment, prompting critics to question the significance of the example he chose to highlight.
