US President Donald Trump has rated tech billionaire Elon Musk’s intelligence, calling him an “80 percent super genius” while adding that he has “a little problem” in the remaining 20%.
“I know smart people.
I deal from Elon [Musk] down to Katie [Hobbs],” Trump said. Trump made the remarks during a rally in Bullhead City, Arizona , on Wednesday, where he campaigned for Congressman Andy Biggs, who is running against Democratic incumbent Katie Hobbs for governor.
After Trump returned to the White House for a second term, Musk joined his administration and led the newly created Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). The initiative sought to reduce government spending and cut federal agencies. Musk has donated more than $276 million since the beginning of July to support Republican candidates in the November midterm elections, according to a report by The New York Times. Around $158 million of the amount went to the Senate Leadership Fund, the main super PAC supporting Republican Senate candidates, according to figures provided by Musk’s team. US voters will head to the polls on November 3 to decide key state and local races, along with the balance of power in Congress.
However, Musk left the White House in May 2025 after publicly criticising Trump’s massive spending bill, which the president described as his “big, beautiful” bill. A spokesperson for the billionaire told The New York Times that the spending was necessary to prevent Democrats from taking control of Congress.
