People In The US Are Sharing How They Really Feel About President Trump Saying “Smart People Don’t Like Me”
“Calling people ‘smart’ in this context doesn’t mean ‘intellectually superior.’ It means ‘pretentious, elitist liberals with made-up degrees who wouldn’t get by without hard-working, common sense having average Joes to do all the real jobs.'”
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President Donald Trump is once again making headlines for a viral comment that’s sparking debate across the political spectrum. At a private fundraiser in New Jersey, Trump was recorded saying, “Smart people don’t like me,” a remark that has since been widely shared and discussed online.
Twitter: @patriottakes
The comment came as Trump addressed political divisions and the fallout from the shooting of conservative activist Charlie Kirk. While some see the remark as self-deprecating or sarcastic, others interpret it as a continuation of Trump’s longstanding criticism of academic and media “elites.” With reactions pouring in from both supporters and critics, the moment has become yet another flashpoint in the ongoing debate over Trump’s messaging and the deepening divides in American politics. Here’s how Americans are reacting:
1. “Yet another hilarious way Trump is showing how little he thinks of his own supporters.”
2. “He is absolutely right. Smart people do not like him. This is why Trump hates college students and says faculty members and universities are leftists, and his cult is overtly misinformed and not smart.”
—u/Iamjustkillingtime
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3. “It’s all part of the anti-intellectualist, anti-elitist messaging that has been central to the MAGA movement. Basically, the message is that it has been all those coastal, college-educated, liberal, intellectual elites that are the cause of your woes. It is part of the so-called culture wars.”
—u/foboz123
4. “Hold on. He actually said this? That’s hilarious on so many levels!”
—u/Ratakoa
5. “Mocking comments are missing the point. Calling people ‘smart’ in this context does not mean ‘intellectually superior.’ It means ‘pretentious, elitist liberals with made-up degrees who wouldn’t get by without hard-working, common-sense-having average Joes to do all the real jobs.’ The MAGA supporters I’ve known love being called stupid by liberals. It reinforces the idea that they’re hated, allowing them to play victim: ‘You’d win more elections if you reached across the aisle instead of calling your opponents stupid!’ They also flip the script and call liberals the real stupid ones: ‘You might know these five-dollar college words, but you don’t even know how to fix a wobbly sway bar or replace your chimney flashing. I have life skills that you don’t, so you must not be as smart as I am. Therefore, I can discount any sociological, historical, or political insights you gained with your fancy education.'”
6. “He did say he loves the uneducated.”
—u/seaboardist
7. “Sometimes he does tell the truth. It’s rare, but it happens.”
—u/OneDifferent1020
8. “I have a Democrat friend whose husband is MAGA — although she is slowly heading to the right. She’ll preface everything with ‘intelligent Trump supporters,’ and I’m like, ‘Babe, there is no such thing as an intelligent Trump supporter.'”
—u/phillygirllovesbagel
9. “I suspect he means smart people are educated people, and educated people are usually liberal people, and liberal people do not like him.”
—u/brymuse
10. “He is specifically referencing ‘elites,’ media figures, and those he views as out-of-touch intellectuals who oppose his agenda. He frames it as a jab at perceived snobbery from the left and establishment, while appealing to his base by calling them hardworking, common-sense people.”
11. “It tells you something about the American electorate.”
—u/Hour-Hope-9429
12. “Republicans are statistically less educated than Democrats. Trump used to be a Democrat. He realized the easiest route to the presidency was to run as a Republican. He just had to say all the right things.”
—u/SomeRagingGamer
13. “It’s as they say: a broken clock is right twice a day.”
—u/SlyTheCosmosRunner
14. “He claims smart people do not like him, because only stupid people do. And he said they also do not like what he talks about. Well, most of the time, it’s gibberish and hateful nonsense. He is so unqualified to be president, and every day he sits in that White House is another day our nation is in grave danger.”
15. “I’ll take it as a compliment.”
—u/BanjoTCat
Ultimately, whether you see Trump’s remark as a self-aware joke, a criticism of so-called “elites,” or something else entirely, it’s clear the comment has reignited debate about division and identity in American politics. Does this kind of rhetoric deepen the country’s divides, or is it simply another example of Trump’s blunt, off-the-cuff style? We want to know what you think — do these remarks matter, or is the outrage overblown? Join the conversation in the comments below.
Note: Responses have been edited for length/clarity.