At a campaign stop in Ohio today, Donald Trump once again delivered one of his signature off-the-cuff speeches, packed with braggadocio, grievances, and unintentional humor. In this instance, the former president lamented that people were calling him “stupid” and hilariously boasted about how many “geniuses” there are in his family. Trump also recounted a conversation with Rep. Ronny Jackson (whom he calls “Doc Ronnie”) about a test that could supposedly prove his intellectual superiority.
“They Used to Call Me JD. Maybe They Said Stupid”
At the Ohio event, Trump opened up by saying, “You know, they used to call me JD. They may, they said maybe stupid.” Clearly frustrated by the label, Trump attempted to clarify that he comes from a long line of intelligent people, recounting the legacy of “geniuses” in his family.
“I had great heritage, an uncle who was a great, great genius, a father who was a genius. Everybody—we’re all, we have a lot of geniuses,” Trump continued, as his audience cheered. It wasn’t enough for him to stop there, though. To prove his point, Trump said he turned to Rep. Ronny Jackson, the former White House physician, and asked if there was some sort of test he could take to show his intellectual might to the “radical left maniacs” who, in his mind, frequently call him stupid.
Donald Trump: “I don’t like when people call me stupid. I had great heritage, an uncle who was a great, great genius and a father who was a genius. Everybody…We have a lot of geniuses.” pic.twitter.com/WXGa6fa3Ph
— Republicans against Trump (@RpsAgainstTrump) August 28, 2024
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“Is there a test or something I can take to prove to these radical left maniacs that I’m much smarter than them? Is there a test?” Trump asked Jackson, according to his own account. Jackson, who Trump claimed won his Texas congressional seat by “like 52 points,” apparently reassured him that there was indeed a test—though Trump never specified the test’s actual name.
“He said, sir, there is a test. It’s called the X test. I said, what’s it like? He said, well, it gets very tough. The first questions are easy, and the middle of the test gets tough, and the end of the test is quite tough,” Trump recounted, laughingly adding that he passed this ambiguous exam with flying colors.
A Long History of Unintentionally Hilarious Statements
Trump’s Ohio speech is far from the first time the former president has made headlines with bizarre or outlandish statements. Throughout his political career, he has delivered countless moments that blur the line between humorous and concerning.
One of his most infamous moments came during the 2020 presidential campaign, when Trump suggested injecting disinfectant as a possible treatment for COVID-19. During a televised briefing, he said, “I see the disinfectant that knocks it out in a minute, one minute. And is there a way we can do something like that, by injection inside or almost a cleaning? Because you see, it gets in the lungs and it does a tremendous number on the lungs” (source).
Not long before that, Trump had raised eyebrows with his remarks about wind turbines, claiming, “If you have a windmill anywhere near your house, congratulations—your house just went down 75% in value. And they say the noise causes cancer”.
His speeches and interviews often contain unfiltered assertions that reflect his sometimes tenuous relationship with facts. In 2018, for example, Trump famously proclaimed, “I know words, I have the best words,” during a rally, even as he struggled with grammar in the very same sentence (source).
The Genius Legacy Claim
While Trump’s recent Ohio speech focused on proving his intelligence through testing, the former president has long tried to shape a narrative about his intellectual prowess, usually by pointing to his family history. In the past, Trump has often cited his uncle, John Trump, as a key figure in proving his genius. John Trump was a professor at MIT and a highly respected electrical engineer, a fact that Trump frequently references to claim that intelligence runs in his blood.
What makes Trump’s Ohio remarks particularly amusing is how earnestly he tries to build the case that he, too, is a genius because of his family background. “I don’t like being called stupid,” Trump told his Ohio audience. “We have a lot of geniuses,” he added with an air of confidence, seemingly unaware of how comical the repetition of that word sounded.
The Test That Never Ends
The idea of Trump taking some sort of “genius test” isn’t new either. In 2020, Trump repeatedly boasted about taking the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA), a test designed to screen for early signs of dementia. He claimed the test was “very difficult” and talked about how he had “aced” it, bragging to interviewers about his ability to remember the words “person, woman, man, camera, TV” in order (source).
While the MoCA is not an IQ test but rather a screening tool, Trump insisted that his performance on it proved his intellectual capabilities, turning the episode into yet another viral moment in his larger-than-life persona.
Trump’s Genius Rhetoric Persists
Donald Trump’s insistence on his own intelligence and the supposed genius of his family is a consistent theme in his rhetoric. Whether discussing IQ tests, cognitive exams, or simply repeating the word “genius,” Trump frequently tries to brand himself as intellectually superior to his political opponents. At the Ohio campaign event, this effort once again became a focal point of his speech, with amusing results.
While his supporters may cheer him on, these moments continue to be a source of humor and bewilderment for others, adding to the ever-growing list of Trump’s strange and memorable statements.
With his sights set on 2024, it seems unlikely that Trump’s “genius” narrative will fade anytime soon. For now, we’ll have to wait and see if he reveals any new test results or if his uncle’s brilliance continues to serve as his ultimate proof of intelligence.
Featured image via screengrab
