Former President Donald Trump has once again taken to social media to voice his opinions, this time in response to a recent Wall Street Journal poll that questioned voters about the mental and physical fitness of presidential candidates.
On Monday, September 11, Trump used the opportunity to call for “acuity” and “physical activity” tests not only for President Joe Biden but also for media mogul Rupert Murdoch and other prominent figures.
The poll, which asked respondents whether they believed Trump was “mentally up for the job of president” and whether he was too old to run, was promptly dismissed by Trump as “phony and probably rigged.”
Trump harkened back to July 2020 when he underwent a mental acuity test after a Fox News poll indicated that 47% of respondents believed Biden had the “mental soundness to serve effectively as president,” compared to 43% for Trump. He asserted that he “aced” the cognitive test, which included memory assessments, and emphasized that it was no easy feat, but he excelled.
In a public challenge issued on Sunday, Trump called on Rupert Murdoch and Sons, President Biden, and the heads of the Wall Street Journal to take similar acuity tests. He pledged to “name the place and the test” and insisted that it would be rigorous, claiming that nobody would come close to matching his performance.
Trump even suggested incorporating physical activities into these tests, citing his recent victory in the Senior Club Championship at a prestigious golf club as evidence of his strength, accuracy, touch, and mental toughness.
During his social media commentary, Trump didn’t shy away from criticizing Fox News and the Wall Street Journal for what he perceived as bias and their role in a purported $780 million settlement related to the failed campaign to support Ron DeSantis, whom he referred to as “damaged goods.”
It’s worth noting that in February, GOP presidential hopeful Nikki Haley called for “mental competency tests” for all politicians over the age of 75, a proposal that would encompass both Trump (age 77) and Biden (age 80). This proposal drew criticism from older voters, given Haley’s age of 51