US President Donald Trump on Friday brushed aside criticism from opponents while boasting about his cognitive abilities and intelligence during a rally in New York, saying he did not mind being labelled a “tyrant” or “dictator” but objected strongly to being called “dumb”. “I don’t mind being called a brilliant total tyrant dictator,” Trump told supporters, before adding, “But I don’t want to be called dumb.” The remarks came during a campaign-style appearance in New York’s Hudson Valley alongside Republican Congressman Mike Lawler, where Trump repeatedly veered away from economic messaging and launched into a lengthy defence of his intelligence and mental sharpness. At one point, Trump said criticism surrounding his cognitive fitness led him to take a cognitive assessment, which he claimed to have passed successfully. “I’m the smartest guy you’ll ever meet,” he later told the audience. The nearly 90-minute speech shifted rapidly between topics including inflation, crime, immigration, voter identification laws, transgender athletes and jabs at his predecessor Joe Biden. Trump also mocked Democrats repeatedly during the event, referring to them as “Dumocrats”, a term he’s resorted to use frequently in recent times, while urging supporters to stay politically engaged ahead of the congressional elections. “You gotta go vote,” he said. “Otherwise it’s a rigged election.” The rally was organised in support of Lawler, one of the few House Republicans representing a district won by Democrat Kamala Harris in the 2024 presidential election. New York’s 17th Congressional District is expected to be among the most competitive House races in the country and could play a key role in deciding control of Congress. The event also focused on last year’s expansion of the federal deduction for state and local taxes, commonly known as SALT, an issue of major importance in high-tax states such as New York. Trump praised Lawler for pushing the measure aggressively through Congress, joking, “I call him Mr. Salt.” Lawler later thanked Trump for supporting the expansion and said the measure had delivered significant tax relief to residents in his district. Wearing a red “Mr. SALT” cap, the congressman said more than 90 per cent of households in the district were now able to fully deduct their state and local taxes. Trump also defended his broader economic agenda during the speech. “I cut your taxes, cut the taxes on workers, families, small business, who are the soul of this state,” he said. “These are all Republican tax cuts. The Democrats voted against every one of these tax cuts.” The appearance comes as the White House seeks to refocus attention on Trump’s economic record amid declining approval ratings linked to inflation concerns and rising fuel prices following the Iran conflict.
