JD Vance Defends Donald Trump’s Intelligence and Iran Policy

During a recent appearance on *The Diary of a CEO* podcast, Vice President JD Vance said President Donald Trump “has one of the highest, if not the highest, IQs out of any president in American history.” He added that, compared with the other 45-46 U.S. presidents, Trump would rank near the top. Vance recalled that in 2016 he had dismissed Trump as “dumb,” a view he now calls “so, so dumb.”

Daily BeastMEAWWJD Vance claims that Trump has the highest IQ of any US President in history – 17 smart ass takedownsNewsweek

Vance’s comments follow a shift from early criticism—once calling Trump “America’s Hitler”—to active defense. He is promoting his memoir *Communion: Finding My Way Back to Faith* on a media tour that includes interviews on major networks and an upcoming appearance on *The Megyn Kelly Show*. The tour coincides with a U.S.–Iran memorandum of understanding slated for signing in Geneva on June 19, a deal criticized by Israeli officials.

Newsweek

Vance argued that Trump’s “instinctual” understanding of people makes him a strategic asset, shaping policies such as the Iran agreement intended to reopen the Strait of Hormuz. He also defended Trump against Israeli criticism, asserting that the president is “the only head of state in the entire world who is sympathetic to the nation of Israel at this moment.” In reply to Kelly’s critique of the Iran rhetoric, Trump posted on Truth Social that critics share “Low IQs,” naming several commentators, and later tweeted “Wow, @megynkelly really bombed tonight.”

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Right-wing figures Laura Loomer and Brent Scher called Vance’s Megyn Kelly appearance “bizarre” and “insane.” *The Daily Beast* noted past Trump statements described as “mental lapses,” such as a 2020 suggestion that bleach could treat COVID-19 and a 2019 claim that windmills cause cancer.

Newsweek

Trump’s IQ has not been independently tested, leaving Vance’s ranking speculative.

Daily Beast

• “If you give Donald Trump an IQ test with the other 45, 46, presidents that the United States has had, I guarantee he’d be either near the top or at the top,” — JD Vance, Vice President

Daily Beast

• “He understands people at an instinctual level better than anybody that I've ever known,” — JD Vance, Vice President

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• “ Trump responded to this criticism in a lengthy post on Truth Social, writing: "I know why Tucker Carlson, Megyn Kelly, Candace Owens and Alex Jones have all been fighting me for years, especially by the fact that they think it is wonderful for Iran, the Number One State Sponsor of Terror, to have a Nuclear Weapon—Because they have one thing in common, Low IQs.” — Donald Trump, President

Newsweek

• “ He later posted on Twitter: "Wow, @megynkelly really bombed tonight.” — Donald Trump, President

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The memorandum will be signed on June 19; Vance’s Megyn Kelly interview is slated for early July, and his 2028 presidential prospects remain a topic of speculation.

Newsweek