Why does Donald Trump claim that "smart people" dislike him?
Executive summary
President Donald Trump has repeatedly said variants of “smart people don’t like me” in public remarks, a line that circulated widely after a September 2025 clip and resurfaced in later appearances where he contrasted his approval with “smart people” or praised policies “smart people” supposedly back [1] [2] [3]. Fact‑checkers and news outlets show the phrase appears in viral videos and speeches but context and attribution differ across clips; some outlets note the White House did not immediately clarify whether Trump was quoting someone else or speaking about critics [4] [5].
1. How and where he said it — the viral arc
The phrase first drew widespread attention after a September 2025 viral clip from an event at Trump’s Bedminster club in which he said, “Smart people don’t like me, you know? And they don’t like what we talk about,” according to reporting by The Daily Beast and USA Today [2] [1]. Snopes and regional fact‑checks flagged the clip as widely shared on social platforms and sought clarification from the White House, which by some accounts did not immediately respond [4] [5].
2. Fact‑checkers’ caution: quoting, context and uncertainty
Fact‑check outlets and local reporters examined the viral video and raised questions about context and intent. Snopes reported that a commentator involved suggested Trump might have been repeating someone else’s line, and that the White House did not respond to queries in time for publication — leaving room for differing readings of whether Trump was self‑referencing or paraphrasing a conversation [4]. Regional fact checks similarly documented the clip while noting past viral misattributions about Trump’s remarks [5].
3. What Trump is trying to signal to supporters
When Trump frames “smart people” as skeptics of him or his policies, multiple outlets interpret the language as a political device: it separates a hostile, credentialed elite from his base and implies authenticity and populist common sense. Commentary on social platforms and in outlets like Yahoo quoted supporters’ reframing of “smart people” as “pretentious, elitist liberals,” showing how the phrase functions to rally voters by denigrating establishment critics [6].
4. When he deploys the line: polls, approval and policy defenses
Trump has used the “smart people” formulation in moments of vulnerability — acknowledging dips in approval while insisting his ratings are higher “with smart people” or that “the people that are against us are really, really smart,” as reported after a November 2025 Kennedy Center appearance where he defended tariffs and immigration positions [3] [7]. Reuters chronicled a move to cast policy disagreements (for example over skilled worker visas or tariffs) as splits between him and certain conservative or expert critics [7].
5. Competing readings: insult, self‑praise or strategic inversion
News coverage presents two competing interpretations. Critics read the line as a blunt insult to credentialed critics and institutions; supporters treat it as a badge of honor indicating he appeals to “everyday” voters the elites disdain [2] [6]. Fact‑checkers add a third caution: snippets can be misleading without full context, and the White House did not always clarify whether Trump was speaking about himself or relaying someone else’s words [4] [5].
6. What reporting does not settle
Available sources do not mention a definitive, contemporaneous White House transcript explaining precisely whether each instance was self‑referential or quoted from another speaker; Snopes and others note the absence of a full official clarification at the time of their pieces [4]. Sources also do not resolve whether Trump’s repeated use reflects a deliberate rhetorical playbook or a string of off‑the‑cuff remarks assembled by media and social users [4] [5].
7. Why this matters going forward
The phrase matters because it crystallizes a central political tactic: delegitimize institutional critics while recasting elite opposition as proof of authenticity. Outlets from Reuters to Bloomberg document Trump using “smart people” in policy defenses, suggesting the line will persist as both a rhetorical shield and a rallying cry [7] [8]. Readers should weigh clips against full transcripts and note fact‑checkers’ warnings about missing context before drawing firm conclusions [4] [5].
Limitations: this account relies solely on the cited reporting, which includes viral clips and follow‑up fact checks; reporting shows ambiguity about context and lacks a consistent official clarification across all cited instances [4] [5].