Trump Calls Musk 80% Genius, Notes a 'Small Problem'

US President Donald Trump described billionaire Elon Musk as an "extremely genius person by 80 percent," noting that he has a "small problem" in the remaining percentage, in a joking comment about the intelligence of his former ally with whom he shares a volatile relationship.

Trump's remarks, reported by The Independent, came during a campaign rally in Bullhead City, Arizona, on Wednesday, supporting Republican Congressman Andy Biggs, who is competing against current Democratic Governor Katie Hobbs for the state's governorship.

Trump attacked Hobbs, describing her as "terrible... and a stupid person," before comparing her intelligence to that of Musk, founder of electric car company Tesla, space company SpaceX, and AI startup xAI.

Trump said: "I know smart people. I deal with people from Elon (Musk) to Katie (Hobbs)."

But he added in a mild critical reference to Musk: "Elon is extremely genius by 80 percent, and in the remaining percentage, he has a small problem, and I always tell him that. But he is a great man."

Volatile Relationship Between Trump and Musk

The relationship between Trump and Musk has seen several fluctuations. The billionaire supported Trump during the 2024 elections and contributed money to fund his campaign.

When Trump returned to the White House for a second term, he brought Musk with him, where the billionaire led the newly created Department of Government Efficiency, known by the acronym DOGE.

Musk continued in this role for several months, leading efforts to reduce the size of federal agencies, within what the administration called a "quest to limit government waste."

But Musk left the White House in May 2025, after publicly criticizing the massive spending bill promoted by Trump, describing it as a "big and beautiful" project.

Despite previous disagreements, Musk has pumped more than $276 million since early July to support Republican candidates in the midterm elections scheduled for November, according to The New York Times on Monday.

About $158 million of Musk's funds went to the Senate Leadership Fund, a super political action committee supporting Republican candidates for Senate membership in the midterm elections, according to data provided by the billionaire's team.