As coronavirus outbreaks in the United States are so extreme that “once adjusted for population, [10 U.S. states] are recording more new cases than any country in the world,” a somewhat chastened and deflated Trump has been forced to admit that the pandemic will probably get worse before it gets better. *
Yet, even such a grim prospect has not kept the man – the “short-fingered vulgarian” — who has exaggerated about the size of his hands to rebut the insinuation that, in his own words, “…if they are small, something else must be small. I guarantee you there’s no problem. I guarantee,” from continuing to brag during the pandemic.
This time, it is about his alleged mental prowess.
After – within the short span of two weeks – boasting incessantly in interviews with his Fox mentor Sean Hannity and then with Chris Wallace, about “acing” a cognitive test, he was at it again, this time with Fox News contributor Dr. Marc Siegel.
Siegel asked Trump about the cognitive test, the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA), a test designed to “detect signs of dementia, Alzheimer’s disease or other conditions.”
Definitely not a mental acuity test.
Once again, the very stable genius took the bait and elucidated about his great memory and how he is all “cognitively there.”
One particular aspect of the test – “much more difficult” — apparently challenged Trump the most, and he has been crowing about it to whomever is willing to suffer through it.
Siegel was one of the latest victims to whom Trump recited the last questions on the test:
Like a memory question…It’s like you’ll go: Person, woman, man, camera, TV. So, they say, “Could you repeat that?”’ So, I said, Yeah. So, it’s person, woman, man, camera, TV. “Okay, that’s very good. If you get it in order you get extra points.”
Trump said that about 10, 15, 20 minutes later, he was asked to remember the answer to that earlier question.
You go, “person, woman, man, camera, TV.” If you get it in order you get extra points. They say nobody gets it in order. It’s is actually not that easy but for me it was. And that’s not an easy question…They say, “That’s amazing. How did you do that?” I have, like, a good memory … I’m cognitively there.
And once again he could not help himself and used the test he “aced” to disparage the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee: “Joe should take that test because something’s going on, and I say this with respect..,” the bragger-in-chief said.
However, Trump’s braggadocio is backfiring on him. Pundits, comedians and political groups are having a field day.
Below is Stephen Colbert’s take on The Late Show. (The segment on the cognitive test starts at 2:45)
And if you want more evidence of Trump’s genius, please watch the trailer of the upcoming “The Good Brain,” a movie that will “examine one of the great minds in history,” below.
Finally, Trump’s bragging is generating a whole cottage industry offering a score of items of clothing merchandise — including T-shirts, hats, hoodies and, most appropriately face masks — emblazoned with those five immortal words.
Ironically, an anti-Trump Republican group is raking in the money with a similar line of clothing displaying “Person. Woman. Man. Camera. TV.”
Five little words. That “have in effect become the haiku of the 2020 campaign.”
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* For more on Trump’s “week of retreat,” please go HERE
