A phrase that sounds simple, but carries a long history

When Donald Trump recently labelled Supreme Court Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson a “low IQ person,” it landed like just another political insult in an already loud American news cycle.

But for many observers, the wording wasn’t just an insult, it was a signal.

Jackson, a Harvard-educated jurist and the first Black woman to serve on the US Supreme Court, was singled out alongside House Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries, both prominent Black political figures.

The phrase “low IQ,” critics say, carries a deeper weight in the United States, where intelligence has long been usedopenly and indirectlyto justify racial hierarchy.

A familiar Trump tactic: insult first, defend later

Trump has a long history of using personal attacks against political opponents, often escalating them in speeches, interviews, and social media posts.

But the “low IQ” label has become one of his recurring phrases, used not only against Black lawmakers but also against critics across the political spectrum.

He has previously targeted figures such as Jasmine Crockett, Rashida Tlaib, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, and Maxine Waters, as well as 2024 election rival Kamala Harris, whom he described as “stupid,” “a moron,” and a “very low IQ individual.”

The language extends beyond race, but critics argue the pattern is not evenly distributed.

Why “low IQ” hits differently in American history

Experts say the phrase cannot be separated from its historical context.

During slavery and colonial-era thinking in the US, Black people were often wrongly portrayed as intellectually inferior to justify forced labour and exclusion from leadership.

That legacy, according to communication scholar Karrin Vasby Anderson of Colorado State University, still echoes in modern political language.

She describes Trump’s phrasing as a “racist dog whistle,” rooted in a long tradition of questioning the intelligence of people of colour.

In this reading, the insult is not just personalit taps into centuries of racial framing in American society.

From fringe theory to political conversation

The debate has also reopened uncomfortable conversations about pseudoscience and politics.

Ideas linked to phrenologya discredited belief system linking skull shape to intelligencehave resurfaced in online far-right spaces and occasionally appear in mainstream commentary.

Some media figures have even used IQ comparisons when discussing immigration and culture, particularly referencing countries such as Somalia.

Psychology professor Robert Sternberg of Cornell University notes that IQ tests themselves are limited tools, often overstated in their ability to explain real-world intelligence or behaviour.

Still, references to IQ continue to shape political arguments, giving them what experts call a “scientific-sounding” layer.

The coded language of politics

One of the central concerns raised by researchers is not just what is saidbut how it is said.

According to Anderson, phrases like “low IQ” offer a kind of political cover. They can be framed as neutral or universal insults while still carrying racial meaning depending on context and audience.

This creates what she describes as “deniability”a space where the speaker can reject accusations of racism while audiences interpret the message differently.

Far-right commentators, including some with mainstream platforms, have occasionally pushed more explicit ideas about intelligence and race, further blurring the line between political rhetoric and extremist narratives.

Pushback from Democratic leaders

Hakeem Jeffries did not ignore Trump’s remarks.

Responding to the insult, he dismissed Trump as “the dumbest person ever to sit at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue,” adding another layer to the ongoing public feud between the two sides.

The exchange reflects a broader reality in US politics: insults are no longer just political theatrethey are part of a deeper struggle over identity, language, and power.

A debate that keeps returning

Whether seen as routine political rhetoric or something more deeply rooted, Trump’s repeated use of “low IQ” has once again reopened a familiar American argument.

It is not only about the insult itself, but about what it represents in a country still wrestling with its history of race, intelligence, and leadership.

And as long as that language remains in circulation, the debate over its meaning is unlikely to disappear anytime soon.

{Source: IOL}

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