Jimmy Kimmel takes Trump’s ‘not easy’ dementia test

WASHINGTON, DC: Jimmy Kimmel jumped right into the debate about President Donald Trump’s mental sharpness by putting himself through a version of the same dementia test Trump keeps mentioning.

On his ABC show, Kimmel used the segment to poke fun at the whole situation and stir up some laughs, but he also ended up sparking real talk about age, health, and what it actually means to be fit for the presidency.

In his Monday, Jan 5 monologue, Kimmel showed a Truth Social post from Trump bragging about having aced his “Cognitive Examination, which no other President, or previous Vice President, was willing to take.”

Jimmy Kimmel plays 4-minute clip of him taking exam

Kimmel played a 4-minute clip of himself taking the real cognitive exam that Trump had described as “not easy.”

“In the interest of fairness, and also to get a sense of what he keeps babbling about, we got in touch with a doctor who gives this test regularly, these cognitive exams,” Kimmel said. “And I asked her to administer one to me.”

Kimmel explained, “This is the official exam administered by a medical professional. I did not see the questions ahead of time. And I’m willing to release the full unedited version if necessary.”

“With that said, let’s find out just how difficult this big, beautiful test is,” Kimmel said, “and how my brain stacks up against our stable genius president’s.”

Kimmel framed the segment with levity, making clear he was not a medical expert and that his test was for entertainment rather than diagnosis

The medical professional tallied up Kimmel’s points and told him he got a “perfect score.”

Kimmel replied, “So I can be president.”

Trump’s cognitive tests and public concern around them

Trump keeps bringing up his cognitive test scores, saying he aced at least three of them and that he’s in “perfect health.”

He’s also pushing for a rule that would require anyone running for president or vice president to take these tests, no exceptions.

In October 2025, Kimmel stood up for Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Jasmine Crockett after Trump said they couldn’t pass the test themselves.

He brought Crockett onto his show for a video interview and tossed a few test questions her way, just for fun. When she nailed the elephant drawing, Kimmel grinned and said, “Wow, you’re gonna crush this.”

Over the past few months, for Donald Trump, there’s been a steady stream of high-profile slip-ups, mixing up countries, confusing foreign leaders, and blanking on names. He’s been repeating himself more, losing his train of thought.