In an effort to counter the criticism that only an idiot would vote for Donald Trump, supporters of the former reality TV host are posting claims about their high IQs on Twitter.
— K. Thor Jensen 🐀🐀 (@kthorjensen) November 8, 2016
The writer K. Thor Jensen found several examples of the phenomenon, posting them without comment, and a quick Twitter search turns up many more.
https://twitter.com/Geemigreerde/status/791212979329073152
I have one college degree but I have an IQ OF 160. Does that count? The disc u started was Trump supporters were uneducated and brainwashed https://t.co/AvwLkONYsg
— Sandra 💔🇺🇸 (@SandraSBreen) October 23, 2016
I have an IQ of 145. I work as a software engineer, designing complex financial software. I don’t vote stupid, but for good of my children https://t.co/2lSIZDH4b6
— D. Parrot WTO (@Daedalus_Parrot) November 8, 2016
https://twitter.com/GrowFoodNtLawns/status/794956190639857669
I have 137 IQ, Trump & I are much smarter to identify the real problem, radical Islam!
— Tony Stanley (@tzstan1776) June 12, 2016
I have an IQ of 137 (last tested about 18 months ago) and I’d rather vote for Trump than Hillary (I’d vote third party, however).
— Carter (@BostonsFuture) June 12, 2016
Donald Trump tell the morons that I have a IQ of 130 I am sick of being called stupid because I am voting for you.
— Sparrow (@Michell55900313) May 14, 2016
I earned a Juris Doctor degree, I have a 137 IQ, I’m gay and I fully support Donald Trump. If that blows your mind, you probably watch CNN.
— 🐸Androphile👌🏻🇺🇸 (@oooobear) August 23, 2016
https://twitter.com/RealAmericanBud/status/709938497189126146
IQ is a fairly common thing to throw around in heated internet arguments, especially as a synonym for “intelligence,” which it is not. Trump himself tends to boast about his IQ, though, so it’s hardly surprising that his fans think the same way:
Sorry losers and haters, but my I.Q. is one of the highest -and you all know it! Please don’t feel so stupid or insecure,it’s not your fault
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 9, 2013
What does appear strange, though, is the high concentration of alleged 137 IQs among the boastful Trump voters. Why that number in particular? They could be telling the truth, I suppose, but the odds that so many people in the same political cohort coincidentally share the exact same 99th percentile IQ seem slim. Perhaps 137 is a common result of online IQ tests, which use score inflation to encourage social media sharing?
A handful of tweets claim that Trump once estimated his own IQ at 137, but I couldn’t find a reported quote from the candidate to support that rumor.
Either way, the IQ bragging trend has found its way to Weird Twitter‘s radar, and the statistically improbable genius-level Trump supporters are now being mocked six ways from Sunday.
I’m voting for trump and I have an IQ of 420. Uneducated white men? Haha. As if.
— feline (@Felinepoop) November 8, 2016
I have an IQ of 1,00,0 and Trump is going to become God today
— MIA (@curvebreaker) November 8, 2016
i have 86 iq and big bepis and vote trump youre move @CNN @nytimes @HillaryClinton
— fujiko mine anime profile pic (@fujicake_) November 8, 2016
I have an IQ of 213 and I constantly get my dick stuck in the microwave, and I’m voting for Trump
— 34yo man in deodorant stained Invader Zim t shirt (@chillwave_mommy) November 8, 2016
https://twitter.com/2dAmMuslim/status/795962021141417984
I have an IQ of 330 and I’m voting for Trump so if you’re not doing the same you must be stupid
— alex (@alexropo) November 8, 2016
I have an IQ of 238. I’m voting for Trump because a reality TV star president is some scrumptious performance art, on par with Baudrillard.
— michael “cohost.org/lutz” lutz (@WarrenIsDead) November 8, 2016
https://twitter.com/GloverTroy/status/795823394721775618
The lesson here is that no matter what your actual IQ may be, appealing to a flawed and controversial measure of general intelligence is a pretty poor way to justify your political choices. Bringing up your supposed IQ (or invoking IQ to insinuate your opponents are mentally handicapped) only makes you seem insecure and desperate for approval. And I would know, because I scored 42,069 on the SAT.
