The late-night host explained that he took the test “in the interest of fairness” and to “get a sense of what he [Trump] keeps babbling about.”
Emlyn Travis is a news writer at Entertainment Weekly. She has been working at EW since 2022. Her work has previously appeared on MTV News, Teen Vogue, and NME.
EW’s editorial guidelinesAfter Donald Trump bragged about passing his third straight cognitive exam on social media last week, Jimmy Kimmel is getting in on the action.
The late-night host, 58, revealed on Monday’s episode of Jimmy Kimmel Live that he recently took the same test as Trump in order to see how just his brain measures up against the president’s.
“We’ve been hearing so much about these cognitive tests he keeps acing… and I’ve offered him the opportunity to take the test live on television. He still hasn’t gotten back to me on it,” Kimmel explained in his opening monologue. “So, in the interest of fairness, and also to get a sense of what he keeps babbling about, we got in touch with a doctor who gives these tests regularly, these cognitive exams, and I asked her to administer one to me.”
Prior to showing the results of his test, Kimmel clarified that he “did not see the questions ahead of time” and is “willing to release the full, unedited version” of the test if necessary.
“Let’s find out just how difficult this big beautiful test is and how my brain stacks up against our stable genius president’s,” he added.
The footage then cut to a segment that was thoughtfully titled, “Is Jimmy a Moron?” In it, Kimmel sat across from Dr. Sarah Swanson, who administered the test to him and confirmed that it was likely the same one taken by Trump.
The exam tested Kimmel’s different cognitive functions, from drawing a cube to identifying several animals. He was also asked to repeat back numbers, complete basic math equations, and memorize a collection of words that were revisited at the end of the test.
