US President Donald Trump on Friday dismissed criticism from political opponents while touting his intelligence and cognitive abilities during a rally in New York. Trump said that he is unbothered being labelled a “tyrant” or “dictator” but takes issue on being called “dumb”.
“I don’t mind being called a brilliant total tyrant dictator,” Trump told supporters at the event. “But I don’t want to be called dumb,” he added, drawing cheers from the crowd.
The remarks came during a campaign-style appearance in New York’s Hudson Valley alongside Republican Congressman Mike Lawler. The rally, which lasted nearly 90 minutes, saw Trump frequently veer away from economic messaging to focus on defending his mental sharpness and responding to criticism about his cognitive fitness.
At one point, Trump said he had taken a cognitive assessment amid ongoing scrutiny and claimed he had passed successfully. “I’m the smartest guy you’ll ever meet,” he told attendees.
The speech covered a wide range of topics, including inflation, crime, immigration policies, voter identification laws and transgender athletes. Trump also used the platform to attack Democrats, repeatedly referring to them as “Dumocrats”, a term he has used in recent speeches, while urging supporters to remain politically active ahead of upcoming congressional elections.
The rally was organised to support Mike Lawler, one of the few Republican lawmakers representing a district that voted for Democrat Kamala Harris in the 2024 presidential election. New York’s 17th Congressional District is expected to be among the most closely contested House races and could play a significant role in determining control of Congress.
Trump has repeatedly highlighted his performance in cognitive tests in recent months. In a post on Truth Social last month, he called for mandatory cognitive examinations for presidential and vice presidential candidates, while criticising former Democratic leaders Barack Obama and Joe Biden.
In a Truth Social post, Trump wrote, “Anybody running for President or Vice President should be forced to take a Cognitive Examination prior to entering the Race! By doing so, we wouldn’t be surprised at people like Barack “Hussein” Obama, or Sleepy Joe Biden, getting “ELECTED.”