President Donald Trump is nothing if not famous for his controversial statements. Almost all his wild statements bring him a lot of criticism and backlash. His latest claim about having a “nice high IQ” has again gotten him into the thick of criticism and plenty of mockery.
Trump recently claimed to have a ‘nice high IQ’ during an interview on Air Force One. Trump told reporters, “I have a nice high IQ. We like high IQ people. They know I make good decisions.” He then gestured to his signature red MAGA hat and added that his red hat is the proof that he was right about everything.
The moment became viral and quickly spread across social media. It drew immediate backlash and ridicule. People noted that intelligent people generally do not go around and advertise their intelligence. One user on x.com said – Nothing screams ‘high IQ’ than feeling the need to tell everyone you have one.
Another added, “Smart people don’t say they’re smart. They don’t have to.”
Trump: “I have a nice high IQ. We like high IQ people. They know I make good decisions.”🤡
Nothing screams ‘high IQ’ like needing to tell us you have one pic.twitter.com/e1KyVAcdWZ
— Republicans against Trump (@RpsAgainstTrump) July 1, 2025
Ever since Donald Trump came down the golden escalator and announced his candidacy for the president of the United States for the first time, he has been trying to convince people of his intelligence.
He has made several public comments over the years about how intelligent he is. He has also given himself a few nicknames. One such name is when he called himself a very stable genius. He then claimed to have aced the cognitive test about five things.
Probably the most outrageous one was when he challenged then-Secretary of State Rex Tillerson for a competition of IQ and then Tillerson called him a moron.
Thread of actual quotes about Trump:
“Trump is a fucking moron.” – Rex Tillerson, Trump’s first Secretary of State
1/6 pic.twitter.com/v5GT6AQ5Cz
— JChoe (@JoohnChoe) September 12, 2024
Psychologists and communication experts have often pointed out that people who need to boast about their IQs are often perceived as insecure and not impressive.
“People who are truly intelligent tend to let their work and ideas speak for themselves,” noted Dr. Lena Martinez, a cognitive scientist. She also claims that exaggeration of IQ in a conversation can make people lose interest in you rather than persuade them of your intelligence.
There is an uproar in the nation. People are worried about losing benefits with the Big Beautiful Bill. At such a time, people want substance and not slogans from their leader. This statement by Trump of being a high IQ person at such a time is a very tone deaf attempt at self-praise,
What made Trump’s comment particularly tone-deaf, critics argue, is that it came at a time when many voters are demanding substance over slogans.
I think we love Trump because he’s so honest, so relatable. He says it like it is! He’s certainly trying to make our country safer. He knows this is his last go round in office, he can be true to what he thinks is best. pic.twitter.com/ubAJXKrFu7
— Shannon 🇺🇸I stand with America (@thewriterme) June 4, 2025
Nevertheless, Trump’s supporters continue to embrace his brash style. For MAGA, Trump’s overconfidence and media statements are a part of his personality and not a flaw.
“He tells it like it is,” said one supporter on social media. They also claim that he is not afraid to call himself smart and that is part of his leadership.
Whereas others felt that this brag was out of touch. One user on X defined it best when they said that being a leader is not about bragging about your intelligence or power but about listening to your people, learning, and leading others with humility.
Just like all Trump controversies, this one will also fade, and then there will be a new statement that will take its place. And it again shows that even though Trump dominates the headlines, it is not always flattering.
