President Donald Trump took a slight jab at tech mogul Elon Musk on Wednesday, poking fun at the billionaire who remains a close ally despite the pair’s rollercoaster relationship.
The president made the remark during a rally in Arizona, where he went after Democratic Gov. Katie Hobbs, calling her “horrible.”
“First of all, she’s a dumb person. You ever see her?” Trump told the crowd.
Trump then brought Musk into the conversation as a point of comparison, drawing a contrast between the Arizona governor and the tech executive.
“I know smart people … from Elon down to [Hobbs], I figure there’s a big gap,” the president said.
But Trump didn’t let Musk off without a bit of ribbing of his own.
“No, Elon’s 80 percent super genius, and 20 percent — he got a little problem, I always tell him,” Trump added.
The president quickly followed up with praise for his longtime ally.
“No, he’s a great guy though,” Trump said.
The lighthearted swipe comes as Musk has made a return to the political arena.
Musk, who previously led the Trump administration’s controversial Department of Government Efficiency, recently jumped back into the political fray. He has reclaimed his status as a major election spender and has once again inserted himself into Washington politics.
His return follows a very public falling out with the president last year.
In June 2025, tensions between Musk and Trump exploded, with the two trading insults in a dramatic public feud. The clash reached its peak when Musk alleged that files linked to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein were being hidden in order to protect the president.
Earlier this year, Musk suggested that he planned to scale back his political involvement.
However, that has not turned out to be the case. Musk’s recent election spending has made him the largest campaign donor in this year’s midterms.
The tech mogul is hoping to give Republicans a boost amid an unfavorable electoral environment for the party.
The president’s comments at the Arizona rally suggest that, despite last year’s bitter exchange, the relationship between the two men has returned to friendly footing. Trump’s teasing remark about Musk being “80 percent super genius” was paired with a clear endorsement of his character, with the president calling him “a great guy.”
Meanwhile, Trump’s harshest words were reserved for Hobbs, the Democratic governor of Arizona, whom he called both “horrible” and “a dumb person” in front of the rally crowd.
The rally gave Trump a chance to take aim at a Democratic opponent while also highlighting his renewed alliance with Musk, who has emerged as the single biggest donor of the midterm cycle as Republicans look to overcome a challenging political landscape.
[READ MORE: Washington Post Photojournalist Hospitalized After Being Beaten by Israeli Settlers in West Bank]
