‘I’m not that close to 80’: Trump on defense on age ahead of visit to Steelers game

Story by Aysha Bagchi, USA TODAY. October 20, 2024.

  • Trump’s Age: Donald Trump, 78, defended his age and cognitive abilities during a town hall in Pennsylvania, mentioning his successful cognitive tests.
  • Campaign Activities: Trump visited a McDonald’s and planned to attend a Pittsburgh Steelers game. He criticized Kamala Harris’ stance on fracking.
  • Law Enforcement: Trump emphasized protecting law enforcement officers from legal repercussions.
  • Harris’ Campaign: Kamala Harris celebrated her 60th birthday in Georgia, promoting early voting and receiving endorsements from former Steelers players.

“I’m not 80, and I’m not that close to 80,” the 78-year-old former president said at a town hall event in Lancaster, Pennsylvania.

“I’ve done cognitive tests. I’ve done them twice, and I aced both of them, and the doctor in one case said, ‘I’ve never seen anybody ace them,’” Trump added.

Trump appeared to be referring to the Montreal Cognitive Assessment that his White House physician, Ronny Jackson, now a Texas Republican congressman, said the then-president answered perfectly in January of 2018. Trump has previously claimed to have aced that test, which takes about 10 minutes and poses 30 questions, including on naming the animal in an image and repeating back a series of words.

Democrats in recent days have gone on offense over Trump’s age and behavior, including a town hall in Pennsylvania last week where the Republican presidential nominee moved around to music for nearly 40 minutes after ending his event’s Q&A portion because of two medical emergencies in the crowd.