Chinese philosopher Confucius once said, “If you are the smartest person in the room, then you are in the wrong room.” The quote is often used as a reminder that strong leaders grow by surrounding themselves with people who challenge them and bring different strengths to the table. But in Don ald Trump‘s world, he prefers to hang with people who are less successful than he is. Trump insulted his aids JD Vance and Marc Rubio to their faces, then tried to give them a gift to soften the blow. (Photo by ANDREW CABALLERO-REYNOLDS/AFP via Getty Images) ‘OMG’: Trump Soaks In Never-Ending Praise, Then Leaves Officials Waiting for His Cue While Bondi’s Face Reads Like a Silent Rebellion The president spoke about the kind of people he prefers keeping company with during the QA session following his hour-long speech at the Future Investment Initiative PRIORITY Summit on Friday, March 27. Several familiar faces from Trump’s orbit were in the audience when he made a blistering remark in front of the director of the Office of Science and Technology Policy, Michael Kratsios, as well as special envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, the latter of whom happens to be married to Trump’s daughter, Ivanka. Moderator Richard Attias asked five questions of the president, with the second question being about what the world is missing in leadership. Trump replied, “It’s winning. You gotta win, you know? I’ve watched a lot of people — leaders, great leaders — and one thing about sports is you break it down into a two-hour period, something nice. You don’t have to wait a lifetime to find out if somebody’s a winner or a loser. You got a lot of losers — mostly losers. Fortunately, it’s a good thing to have a lot of losers.” As he went on, the former reality star’s words sounded more and more like he was talking about his own team. “I always like to just hang around with losers, actually,” he continued, “Because it makes me feel better. I hate guys that are very, very successful and you have to listen to their success stories. I like people that like to listen to my success.” The remark drew laughter inside the room, but once the clip made its way online, the reaction turned into a full-blown conversation about what he meant — and who he might have been talking about. BREAKING: Trump admits to wanting to be surrounded by LOSERS. It all now makes sense. Vance, Hegseth, Patel, Noem etc. pic.twitter.com/hhy3BbZ9Oj— Brian Krassenstein (@krassenstein) March 28, 2026 When the Spiritual Word posted the clip on Instagram, the reactions from its sagacious readers were a mix of humor, disbelief, and pointed commentary. One person joked, “JD Vance punching air rn,” suggesting the statement might have hit closer to home than intended. “Whelp…..that explains his choices of his cabinet members. Birds of a feather,” a second person wrote. The majority is convinced that Trump’s comment was a jab at his own administration. A third person reacted more bluntly, tweeting, “There it is out loud, what he thinks of his cabinet and his supporters, losers sounds about right and what they get for supporting this Jack a–.” Some viewed Trump’s admission of truth as just that, while critics hinted he was openly boasting about his insecurities. California Gov. Gavin Newsom even jumped in on the fun, posting a throwback photo of Vance with the caption, “TRUMP: ‘I always like to hang around with losers, actually, because it makes me feel better.’” TRUMP: “I always like to hang around with losers, actually, because it makes me feel better.” pic.twitter.com/CMzvKFTObh— Governor Newsom Press Office (@GovPressOffice) March 28, 2026 A fourth observer added, “Right, he put all those unqualified people around him for a reason,” as another one wrote, “He’s telling the truth for a rare change.” The exchange also reminded many observers of a similar comment from September 2025, when Trump stated, “Smart people don’t like me and they don’t like what we talked about” while speaking with guests who attended a gala at his Trump National Golf Club Bedminster. That comment previously drew a quick response from Texas Rep. Jasmine Crockett, who posted on X, “I agree! Soooo does MAGA know what this means he thinks of them?” I agree! Soooo does MAGA know what this means he thinks of them ? https://t.co/7kuDcaZEiX— Jasmine Crockett (@JasmineForUS) September 14, 2025 Her reaction resurfaced once the latest clip began trending as people began connecting the dots between Trump’s past remarks and his newest comments. Longstanding rumors about how smart Trump is based on his reading habits and communication style resurfaced as well. Former “Apprentice” colleague Claudia Jordan recalled that he struggled with simple tasks like sending text messages, suggesting there might be truth behind the speculation. Comedian Pete Davidson made a similar claim years earlier, describing an incident in which Trump misread a line during a rehearsal and appeared confused about the wording. Even his late Wharton professor William T. Kelley reportedly called Donald Trump his “dumbest godd-mn student,” according to an interview with his friend and legal colleague Frank DiPrima on Philly Mag. Those anecdotes continue to circulate whenever his off-the-cuff comments dominate headlines and spark renewed discussion about how he communicates. Maybe the pattern is not accidental. If smart people make him feel insecure and challenge him with tough questions, keeping them at a distance makes it easier for the president to stay in control — and appear to be the smartest person in the room, especially as someone who seems to want to remain the center of attention. ‘JD Vance Punching Air Right Now’: Trump Rags on the ‘Losers’ He Hangs With, Then Dismantles His Own Team and Viewers Wonder Which Staffer Will Take It the Hardest ...read more read less