Donald Trump challenges Joe Biden to cognitive test but then forgets name of his own doctor
US Presidential candidate Donald Trump continues to mock and question president Joe Biden's cognitive abilities, despite getting the name of his own doctor wrong at a rally in Detroit, Michigan.
The former President has long bemoaned the 81-year-old Biden claiming that the US president is not fit to continue as head of the White House as the two battle to come out top in the next election. However, despite challenging Biden to a 'cognitive' test people have now also questioned Trump after he appeared to get the name of his doctor wrong at a recent rally.
At a speech in Detroit, Michigan on Saturday, June 15, to the group Turning Point Action, Trump, who celebrated his 78th birthday on Friday, revisited this topic of mental ability. He mockingly stated that Biden "doesn't even know what the word 'inflation' means", and urged his potential opponent in the 2024 election to undertake a cognitive test, just as he had during his presidency.
Trump boasted to the audience about having "aced" the cognitive test, which he took following a recommendation from the then-presidential physician, whom he mistakenly referred to as Ronny Johnson. Addressing the crowd, he asked, "Has anyone heard of Ronny Johnson, congressman from Texas? ".
Former President Donald Trump gives the keynote address at Turning Point Action's
"He was the White House doctor, and he said I was the healthiest president, he feels, in history. So I liked him very much." However, the physician who conducted Trump's test was actually Ronny Jackson, who now serves as the representative for Texas's 13th congressional district. Since joining the US House in 2021, Jackson has been a staunch supporter of Trump.
The error made by Trump on Saturday night was quickly picked up and shared across social media platforms, with Biden's team jumping on the blunder.
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Trump took centre stage at the People's Convention, addressing a crowd of approximately 2,000 Make America Great Again (MAGA) enthusiasts convened by Turning Point Action. His speech, which spanned 80 minutes and included an unfulfilled promise to take questions from the audience, was the marquee event in a three-day series of sessions described as "training" for Republican activists gearing up for the November election.
Trump took centre stage at the People's Convention, addressing a crowd of approximately 2,000 Make America Great Again (MAGA) enthusiasts
The convention was strategically located in downtown Detroit, a decision made by Turning Point's founder Charlie Kirk that was seen as contentious due to the city's 77% African American population and its strong Democratic leanings. Kirk has faced a barrage of criticism lately for his racist and sexist remarks, including his controversial claim that Martin Luther King was an "awful" person.
Trump's appearance in Detroit holds considerable weight as Michigan stands as one of the pivotal swing states expected to play a crucial role in deciding this year's presidential contest. Biden narrowly secured Michigan by a margin of just over 150,000 votes in 2020.
In his recent campaign events, the ex-president has been keen to portray himself as gaining traction among Black and Latino voters, following a number of polls indicating a slight uptick in support from these groups. Last month saw him rally in New York City's South Bronx, an area predominantly inhabited by Hispanic and African American communities.
Donald Trump
Before heading to the Turning Point convention, Trump dropped by a Black church in Detroit for a "community roundtable". His campaign simultaneously launched "Black Americans for Trump", a group made up of African American elected officials, religious heads, and celebrities who endorse him.
Among those lending their names to the announcement was Kwame Kilpatrick, the Black former Democratic mayor of Detroit, freed from a 28-year prison term for public corruption offences after Trump pardoned him in 2021. He stated, "I can never thank President Trump enough for what he's done for me and my family by giving me freedom,".
But Kilpatrick refrained from endorsing Trump's potential return to the Oval Office, adding: "I believe this election and the issues involved are personal to every family and every person in America."