Mary Trump delivered a scathing rebuke of her uncle, President Donald Trump, on Tuesday, October 28, 2025, after he boasted about his cognitive test results during a physical examination at Walter Reed Medical Center. The clinical psychologist and estranged family member took to X with a sharp message that quickly gained attention across social media platforms.
The 79-year-old president had told reporters about his cognitive assessment, then proceeded to disparage Democratic Representatives Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Jasmine Crockett as “low IQ” individuals who he claimed would fail such a test. Trump explained the test’s progression, noting that early questions about identifying animals like tigers, elephants, and giraffes were simple, but suggested his critics couldn’t answer questions numbered five, six, or beyond 20.
Mary Trump, daughter of the president’s late brother Fred Trump Jr., responded with characteristic directness. She posted on X: “Just a quick reminder: bragging about results of the cognitive test is to fail the cognitive test. Moron.”
The post encapsulated the ongoing public feud between the black sheep niece and her uncle, whom she has long criticized for his behavior and mental fitness. Mary Trump holds credentials as a clinical psychologist and has previously published extensive criticisms of the president, including her 2020 book “Too Much and Never Enough: How My Family Created the World’s Most Dangerous Man.”
Representative Ocasio-Cortez quickly fired back at the president’s remarks with her own pointed response. She asked Trump on X whether doctors had requested he draw a clock during his examination, questioning if that portion proved difficult for him. The congresswoman’s reference alluded to a standard dementia screening technique where patients draw clock faces to test cognitive function, as the inability to complete this task often indicates mental decline.
Representative Crockett also addressed the president’s comments during an interview with CNN’s Kaitlan Collins. She stated she was waiting for a reporter to finally ask Trump about his actual IQ score.
The exchange follows years of public commentary from Mary Trump regarding her uncle’s mental state. A group of 40 mental health professionals contributed to a 2024 updated book titled “The More Dangerous Case of Donald Trump,” edited by forensic psychiatrist Brandy X. Lee. These experts assessed the president using a psychopathic checklist that evaluates factors including egocentricity, pathological lying, lack of remorse, lack of empathy, and impulsiveness.
According to the professionals’ assessments, Trump scored in the range of 34 on this evaluation scale. For context, the average score for someone in the general population registers at 5, while the average for felons in maximum-security prison settings reaches 22. A score of 30 or above places an individual into the category of serious mental disorder.
The mental health experts concluded that thousands of studies on such conditions suggest Trump’s traits are hardwired and immutable, making him potentially dangerous. They noted that psychopathic personality disorder represents the most dangerous mental condition because behaving in morally reprehensible ways forms an essential part of its nature.
This latest confrontation between Mary Trump and the president occurred just days before she criticized his plans for an “Arc de Trump” monument in Washington. The proposed triumphal arch would commemorate the 250th anniversary of the United States’ founding next July. In a video posted to her Substack, she expressed shame about the project, which critics have compared to monuments commissioned by historical authoritarian leaders.
Mary Trump has maintained her position as one of the president’s most vocal family critics, regularly posting commentary about his behavior, policies, and statements. Her background in clinical psychology lends particular weight to her assessments of his mental state and decision-making processes. During an April 2025 appearance on MSNBC, she encouraged Americans to remain engaged in political opposition, insisting that hope persists because opponents outnumber supporters.
The White House had not responded to requests for comment about Mary Trump’s remarks at the time of the initial reports. The cognitive test discussion emerged from the president’s routine physical examination at Walter Reed, which sparked broader debates about presidential fitness and the appropriateness of publicly discussing medical assessments.
