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Listen to the article5 min, read by a synthetic voice

In brief

  • Trump says he is the only US president to undergo cognitive testing three times, asserting he answered every question correctly on all occasions, and has now requested a fourth.

  • The president called the new book 'Regime Change: Inside the Imperial Presidency of Donald Trump' a joke, claiming 90% of it is fake news, and referenced a multi-billion-dollar lawsuit against the New York Times.

  • Dr. Sean Barbabella reported Trump in excellent health with good cardiac, pulmonary, and neurological function, while noting mild lower leg edema and minor bruising on the hands.

  • In May, 30 psychiatrists, psychoanalysts, and medical doctors declared in the British Medical Journal that Trump is mentally unfit to serve, amid escalating questions about his cognitive state.

  • Maggie Haberman told MSNBC that Trump's health status is shrouded in more secrecy than almost any other issue in the administration, while Jonathan Swan noted his thinking patterns differ from his first term.

  • At the NATO summit in Ankara, Trump referred to the Islamic Republic of Japan and confused the Ukrainian president with the Russian leader during a press briefing, intensifying fitness-for-office debates.

Washington
Washington, Ankara · United States, Turkey
How it came to this
  1. June 2026Trump celebrates his 80th birthday.
  2. 11 JulTrump posts on Truth Social claiming a perfect medical exam and a third passed cognitive test, attacks Haberman's book.
  3. 12 JulHaberman and Swan appear on MSNBC, criticize health transparency; story covered by multiple Polish outlets.

The president's health claims

Donald Trump announced on his Truth Social platform that he had recently passed a perfect medical examination at the Walter Reed military hospital near Washington. The president, who turned 80 in June, stated he had also requested another cognitive test. He claimed to be the only president to have taken such a test three times, asserting he answered every question correctly on all occasions. Trump suggested that few people in Washington could achieve a similar result.

The White House last reported on Trump's health following a check-up at Walter Reed in May. At that time, the president's physician, Dr. Sean Barbabella, issued an assessment stating Trump remained in excellent health.

“President Trump remains in excellent health, exhibiting good cardiac, pulmonary, and neurological function as well as general physical fitness.”

Sean Barbabella, trump's physician

The doctor also noted Trump experiences mild lower leg swelling and minor bruising on his hands. A comprehensive neurological examination, including screening for depression and anxiety disorders, showed a normal mental state, according to Barbabella's findings.

Attack on journalists and their new book

Trump's health declarations were embedded in a post attacking New York Times journalist Maggie Haberman, whose name he misspelled. The president accused the White House correspondent of portraying him in a false manner for years. His criticism was directed at a new book co-authored by Haberman and Jonathan Swan, titled "Regime Change: Inside the Imperial Presidency of Donald Trump."

Trump dismissed the publication as a joke, claiming 90 percent of it consisted of fake news. He urged his supporters not to buy the book, calling it a piece of junk. The president also referenced an ongoing multi-billion-dollar lawsuit against the New York Times, predicting the case would reach court soon and that the newspaper would pay for its reporting.

“Her book is a joke! 90 percent of it is fake news. She sustains herself through her unreliable journalism and will pay for it when our multi-billion-dollar lawsuit against the declining New York Times reaches court, which shouldn't take long.”

Donald Trump, president of the United States

Journalists respond on health transparency

Haberman appeared on MSNBC on Saturday, where she commented that Trump's health status remains shrouded in secrecy within his administration, more so than almost any other issue. She noted that the president is 80 years old and does not speak with the same clarity he did 30, 20, or even 10 years ago, describing this as entirely typical and understandable for someone in their eighties.

Jonathan Swan added that Trump's thinking patterns in his current term differ markedly from those seen during his first presidency.

Scrutiny of mental fitness

Questions about Trump's cognitive abilities have intensified in recent months. In May, 30 psychiatrists, psychoanalysts, and doctors published an unprecedented statement in the British Medical Journal declaring the US president mentally unfit to serve. The statement came amid a series of incidents noted by critics, including a verbal slip at the NATO summit in Ankara where Trump referred to 111 rockets fired by the Islamic Republic of Japan, confusing Iran with Japan, and later mixed up the Ukrainian and Russian presidents during a press briefing.

Trump's Truth Social post did not address the broader questions raised by medical professionals or his public gaffes. He instead focused solely on his claimed test results.

What the tests reveal

Dr. Barbabella's May report highlighted that a comprehensive neurological examination, including screening for depression and anxiety disorders, demonstrated a normal mental state. The physician also observed mild edema in the lower legs and slight bruising on the hands. The White House has not released the full medical records or detailed cognitive test results, maintaining the administration's practice of limited health disclosures. Trump's request for an additional cognitive test, confirmed by the White House according to Reuters, adds a third formal assessment to his record, a frequency unmatched by any of his predecessors.

Next in today’s edition

Albania's student protests turn violent as Rama refuses to resign

Riot police and protesters clashed in Tirana on Friday, 16 October, for a fourth straight day. The interior minister says 156 people were injured in recent days, including 97 police officers.

  • Safety · 2 h agoPolice violence allegations grow as French high school protests spread
  • Safety · 5 h agoBend elementary shooting kills three children and a teacher
  • Government · 11 h agoZacharia reportedly out as White House press secretary

Sources and context

  • TVN24on 12 Jul at 06:15Donald Trump o "celujących" wynikach badań. W ostrych słowach zaatakował dziennikarkę za publikację
  • rmf24.plon 11 Jul at 20:49Zdrowy jak Trump? Prezydent poprosił o kolejny test funkcji poznawczych
  • Wproston 11 Jul at 20:43Trump traci rozum? Po raz trzeci przeszedł test sprawności umysłowej
  • wnp.plon 11 Jul at 20:19USA: Trump: poprosiłem o kolejny test funkcji poznawczych, zawsze zdaję go celująco
Donald Trump
President of the United States, turned 80 in June 2026, claims to have passed three cognitive tests
Maggie Haberman
New York Times White House correspondent and co-author of 'Regime Change: Inside the Imperial Presidency of Donald Trump'
Jonathan Swan
Journalist and co-author of 'Regime Change: Inside the Imperial Presidency of Donald Trump'
Sean Barbabella
Trump's physician who conducted the May 2026 medical examination at Walter Reed

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Published on 12 Jul at 14:07.

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Text generated by AI from the reports of the publishers listed and checked automatically, with no human editor. How Pollar is made

In this text

The president's health claimsThe president's health claimsAttack on journalists and their new bookAttack on journalists and their new bookJournalists respond on health transparencyJournalists respond on health transparencyScrutiny of mental fitnessScrutiny of mental fitnessWhat the tests revealWhat the tests reveal

Based on reports by

TVN24, rmf24.pl, Wprost, wnp.pl

List of sources

Government · Washington and Ankara

Trump claims perfect score on third cognitive test, attacks NYT journalist over new book on his presidency

The 80-year-old US president said he had just undergone a perfect medical examination at Walter Reed and requested another cognitive test, while launching a sharp attack on New York Times journalist Maggie Haberman.

Washington

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AI text based on reports by TVN24, rmf24.pl, Wprost and other publishers. Published on 12 Jul at 14:07.

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