US President Donald Trump said he has “the highest IQ” during an interview with TIME magazine in which he discussed artificial intelligence. Asked whether he trusts OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, Trump said he likes Altman and called him smart, describing the heads of leading AI companies, including Anthropic’s Dario Amodei, as “very, very high” IQ people.

Trump then mentioned his uncle, who worked at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology for 41 years, before turning to his own intelligence: “I have the highest IQ. The highest. I’m fine, and I understand these things.” He said he “believes in genetics” and argued that he understands new technological trends better than other US presidents.


Trump’s uncle, John G. Trump, was an MIT electrical engineering professor known for his work on high-voltage generators and radiation therapy. The remarks came as polls show many Americans are skeptical about AI; Trump acknowledged concerns over data centers but played them down against the economic benefits.