President Donald Trump called Elon Musk 80% super genius during a campaign rally in Bullhead City, Arizona, on Wednesday, using the billionaire as a point of comparison while he mocked Democratic Gov. Katie Hobbs.
The remarks came during a midterm stop at Laughlin Bullhead International Airport in Mohave County, where Trump rallied support for Republican Rep. Andy Biggs, his endorsed candidate in the governor’s race.
Trump called Hobbs a “failed, radical left governor” and questioned her intelligence, saying he knows smart people. He then pointed to Musk as the example, telling the crowd that “from Elon, down to Katie, I figure there’s a big difference,” while gesturing downward.
Trump’s Musk 80% super genius line is not new
It is not the first time Trump has put a number on Musk’s brilliance. In a September 2025 radio interview with commentator Scott Jennings, Trump said Musk was 80% super genius but had some problems, adding that “when he works out the 20%, he’ll be great.” He repeated a version of the line in January after dining with Musk at Mar-a-Lago, saying the remaining 20% came down to mistakes.
Musk spent heavily to support Trump’s 2024 campaign and later led the administration’s cost-cutting effort before a public falling out over Trump’s tax and spending bill. The two have since appeared together again, and Trump has repeatedly said he still likes Musk.
It was not immediately clear whether Musk had responded to Wednesday’s comments.
Gov. Katie Hobbs fires back
Hobbs responded on X shortly after the speech. “The president can call me whatever names he wants,” she wrote, adding that she would keep putting Arizona first. She also blamed Trump’s tariffs and the war with Iran for rising costs for Arizona families and said Biggs had supported the president throughout.
During the speech, Trump also repeated his long-standing claim that Arizona elections were rigged and suggested Hobbs played a role. He offered no evidence for either claim. Some rally attendees chanted “lock her up.”
A tough map for Republicans in Arizona
Trump chose friendly ground for the visit. Mohave County backed him by close to 56 percentage points in 2024. He flew in from Las Vegas and headed to a rally in Montana afterward.
Statewide, the picture looks harder for his party. A HighGround Public Affairs poll released Tuesday showed Democrats ahead in every statewide race, with Hobbs leading Biggs by nearly 17 points. Former President Barack Obama endorsed Hobbs a day before Trump’s visit.
Arizona voters will choose a governor, attorney general, secretary of state and members of Congress, among other offices. Trump urged supporters to cast ballots early.
Early voting in Arizona runs through Oct. 30, ahead of the Nov. 3 general election. Trump is continuing a run of midterm rallies across several states as Republicans try to hold control of Congress.