Politics is a weird game of telephone. You’ve probably heard some version of it: Donald Trump supposedly admitting that "smart people don't like me." It sounds like the kind of self-deprecating or perhaps defiant remark he might make in the heat of a rally, but did he actually say it?
The short answer is yes. But, as with everything involving the 47th President, the context is basically the whole story.
He didn't say it as a confession of intellectual inferiority. Far from it. When he made the comment, he was actually taking a swing at his critics and discussing a specific, high-profile criminal case. This wasn't a 2016 campaign trail gaffe; it happened much more recently, during his second term in late 2025.
The Bedminster Moment: When He Said It
On a Saturday in September 2025, Trump was at his golf club in Bedminster, New Jersey. He was speaking at the "Hope Through Education" gala. During his remarks, he brought up Tyler Robinson, a suspect who had been arrested in connection with the assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk.
It was a heavy topic, but Trump, being Trump, pivoted to how the "elites" and the "intelligentsia" view him.
"Smart people don't like me, you know? And they don't like what we talk about," Trump told the crowd.
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The room actually laughed. He wasn't crying into his podium. He was leaning into the "us versus them" narrative that has defined his political career. In his eyes, the "smart people" aren't necessarily the ones with high IQs—they’re the "degreed elites" or the "pundit class" who he believes have looked down on his movement since day one.
Understanding the "Smart People" Rhetoric
To understand why he would say something that sounds like a self-own, you have to look at how he uses the word "smart." Honestly, Trump is obsessed with intelligence. He frequently calls himself a "very stable genius" and reminds people he went to an Ivy League school (Wharton).
So, when he says "smart people don't like me," he's using the term sarcastically. He’s talking about the people who think they’re smart—the bureaucrats, the media figures, and the "experts" he’s spent years railing against.
It’s a classic populist tactic. By distancing himself from the "smart people," he aligns himself with "the people." It’s a way of saying, "If those people hate me, I must be doing something right for you."
The "Poorly Educated" Connection
You can't talk about this without mentioning the 2016 Nevada caucus speech. That’s the one where he famously shouted, "I love the poorly educated!"
At the time, people went wild. Critics said he was insulting his own base. But his supporters didn't see it that way. They saw a guy who wasn't judging them for not having a master's degree.
In that speech, he actually listed a bunch of groups:
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- He won with the young.
- He won with the old.
- He won with the highly educated.
- And yes, he won with the "poorly educated."
He was celebrating a broad coalition, but the "poorly educated" line became the only thing anyone remembered. The 2025 "smart people" comment is basically the second half of that same coin. It’s his way of acknowledging the educational divide in American politics, which has only grown wider over the last decade.
Why This Quote Went Viral
The reason this quote caught fire in late 2025 and early 2026 is that it perfectly feeds into the "Two Americas" narrative.
For his detractors, it’s a "gotcha" moment. They see it as a rare slip of the tongue where he admits that people with high cognitive or educational levels find his policies or rhetoric distasteful.
For his supporters, it’s a badge of honor. They view the "smart people" (the experts who told them the economy was fine when they couldn't afford eggs, or the pundits who said Trump could never win) as the enemies of common sense. To them, if the "smart people" don't like Trump, then Trump is exactly where he needs to be.
The Reality of the "Education Gap"
Is there truth to the idea that "smart" (or at least highly educated) people don't like him?
The data from the 2024 election and early 2025 polling suggests a massive "diploma divide." Voters with four-year college degrees, and especially those with postgraduate degrees, have trended heavily Democratic. Meanwhile, voters without college degrees—across many racial demographics—have moved toward the GOP under Trump.
But "educated" and "smart" aren't the same thing, though politics often treats them as if they are. Trump’s comment at Bedminster weaponized this distinction. He was essentially telling his audience that the "smart" people running the country are actually the ones making things worse.
Is the Quote Faked?
In the age of AI and deepfakes, people are skeptical. But this isn't a fake. The video of the Bedminster gala exists. Republican strategist Nicole Kiprilov even shared clips of it online.
It wasn't a secret confession. It was a punchline in a speech designed to build rapport with a specific crowd.
Actionable Insights: How to Fact-Check Political Quotes
In a world where quotes like "smart people don't like me" fly around X and TikTok, you’ve got to be careful. Here’s how to handle these viral moments:
- Find the Raw Video: Don't trust a transcript or a meme. Look for the actual footage. Trump’s cadence and the audience's reaction (like the laughter at Bedminster) tell you if a comment was a joke, a mistake, or a serious statement.
- Look for the "But": Politicians often say something provocative and then immediately qualify it. Trump often says something self-deprecating just to pivot to a "but the people love me" kicker.
- Check the Date: Many "new" viral quotes are actually 10 years old. The "smart people" quote is a 2025 original, but it's often confused with his 2016 "poorly educated" remark.
- Consider the Audience: A speech at a high-dollar gala at a private golf club hits different than a rally in a rural fairground. Trump adjusts his "smart people" rhetoric depending on who is sitting in the front row.
Trump did say "smart people don't like me," but he said it with a smirk, a wink, and a specific political goal in mind. He wasn't insulting himself; he was insulting the people he thinks are "too smart for their own good."
Understanding that nuance is the difference between falling for a headline and actually knowing what happened in American politics.
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Next Steps for You:
If you're tracking the rhetoric of the Trump administration in 2026, keep a close eye on his upcoming speeches at the Heritage Foundation and his scheduled rallies in the Midwest. These are the venues where he typically expands on these "elites vs. the people" themes. Also, compare the Bedminster transcript with his recent executive orders on education—you'll see a direct line between his "smart people" comments and his policy pushes to defund traditional "elite" educational institutions.