Donald Trump’s latest Fox News interview was supposed to be a routine appearance, but instead, it quickly unraveled into one of his most surreal performances yet. At one point, the former president declared himself “the great weaver,” dismissing critics who say he rambles by insisting that his meandering responses require brilliance. It’s not the first time he’s made such a claim; he spoke of being a “weaver” back at a Pennsylvania rally last year.
But his latest claim has now seen social media and comment sections erupt with reactions, many questioning the former president’s self-assessment while others mocked the entire spectacle.
One of the most common themes in the public reaction was the idea that truly intelligent people don’t need to constantly remind others. One summed it up by saying, “Anyone that refers to himself as being ‘brilliant’ should never ever be taken seriously.” Another user echoed the sentiment: “Yeah, I’ve never met a brilliant person who felt the need to constantly tell people he was brilliant.”
Others in the comment section of The New Republic’s article on the same topic seemed to understand the methodology behind Trump’s recipe for success, saying “If you can’t dazzle them with brilliance, baffle them with bullshit.” Indeed, Trump has proven himself a master of waffling to his supporters and rallying support by use of affectations and catchphrases that have since become synonymous with his brand.
Others pointed to well-known intellectuals, contrasting Trump’s behavior with figures who actually are widely regarded as brilliant. Several commenters invoked the Dunning-Kruger effect, a cognitive bias in which people with limited competence overestimate their abilities.
One user mimicked Trump’s own style in the comment section, joking “The interview was perfect. It was a perfect interview. A lot of people tell me that.”
Beyond the immediate absurdity of Trump’s claim, some pointed out that his past actions hardly support the idea of his supposed brilliance. One user compiled a list of Trump’s failed ventures:
- Trump University – shut down as a scam
- Trump Institute – shut down as a scam
- Trump Family Charity – shut down as a scam
- Trump Veterans Charity – shut down as a scam
Fox News’ Role in the Chaos
Many users also took aim at Fox News for its handling of the interview, with accusations that the network edited the footage to make Trump seem more coherent. One wrote: “Think about it, Fox heavily edited the interview and this is the best they could do.” Another sarcastically suggested: “We should sue Fox for the audio recordings of the interview and then threaten to initiate legal action to take away their license to broadcast, right?”
For many, the takeaway from the interview was that Trump’s self-perception is vastly different from reality. Despite Trump’s insistence that his scattered, off-topic responses are actually signs of genius, public reaction suggests otherwise. The consensus? If you have to keep saying you’re brilliant, you probably aren’t.
