Mehdi Hasan has responded with sharp sarcasm after President Donald Trump called Florida Democratic Senate candidate Angie Nixon a “very low IQ person” during a campaign rally in Daytona Beach, Florida, on Friday, October 30, 2026. The journalist and Zeteo founder posted a short, pointed reaction on X that immediately caught attention online, writing: “Not racist at all from the president.”
The comment came as Trump urged supporters to “defeat the communist candidate for Senate,” adding: “A very low IQ person, I have to tell you. I watched her the other day speaking, she can’t speak.” The remark quickly became a talking point, not just because of the insult itself but because of who it was aimed at: a Black woman running for statewide office in a closely watched race.
What Trump Said at the Daytona Beach Rally
Trump took the stage at the Ocean Center Arena in Daytona Beach on Friday night to rally support for Republican candidates, including Senator Ashley Moody and gubernatorial nominee Byron Donalds. His speech, which was interrupted at least three times by protesters, included a direct attack on Nixon, the Democratic nominee for Florida’s U.S. Senate seat.
The president described Nixon as a “communist” and a “very low IQ person,” adding that “she can’t speak.” He also claimed she was “not of the intellect to be running for the Senate.” The comments were part of a broader pattern of personal attacks Trump has directed at Democratic opponents, particularly Black women in politics.
Mehdi Hasan’s Sarcastic Rebuke
Mehdi Hasan, the British-American journalist who founded the independent media outlet Zeteo, did not hold back. His X post—”Not racist at all from the president”—was brief but loaded with irony, implying that Trump’s attack on a Black female candidate was obviously racially charged.
Hasan has repeatedly called out Trump’s language toward Black women. In a previous post from September 2025, he wrote: “Just coincidentally, the two Democratic members of Congress Trump decided to single out here as ‘very low IQ’ are both Black women. Total coincidence. Not racism at all. Move along, move along.” His reaction to the Nixon comment follows the same pattern: using sarcasm to highlight what he sees as an obvious racial double standard.
A Repeated Pattern of “Low IQ” Attacks
Trump’s “low IQ” label is not new. He has used it against several Black women in politics, including:
- Kamala Harris, whom he called “a moron,” “stupid,” and “a very low IQ individual” during the 2024 election cycle.
- Ketanji Brown Jackson, the first Black woman on the Supreme Court, whom he referred to as “that new, Low IQ person.”
- Jasmine Crockett, a Texas congresswoman, whom he described as “a very low IQ person.”
Political analysts have noted that Trump applies the “low IQ” insult far more frequently to people of color, particularly Black women, than to his other opponents. The pattern is what Hasan and other critics point to when they argue that the language is not accidental.
Angie Nixon’s Calm Response
Angie Nixon did not engage directly with the insult during a Friday appearance on MS NOW’s “All In” with host Chris Hayes. When Hayes brought up Trump’s comments—calling her a “very low IQ person and a communist”—Nixon focused on her campaign instead.
“He said you were a very low IQ person and a communist. You know, again, this is sort of Mad Libs. He said this about everyone, but you’re definitely on his radar.” — Chris Hayes
Nixon replied by pointing to the grassroots energy behind her campaign:
“It’s definitely on their radar because they could not believe that someone who didn’t have nearly as much money as they had is actually making headways this way. And that just goes to show you that organized people can beat big money.” — Angie Nixon
She also said Republicans and moderates were volunteering and donating to her campaign, describing it as a sign that her message was resonating beyond party lines.
Why the Florida Senate Race Matters
Nixon, a Florida state representative from Jacksonville, won the Democratic primary in August 2026 by defeating Alex Vindman despite being heavily outspent. If elected, she would become Florida’s first Black U.S. senator and the first Democrat to win a Senate seat in the state since 2012.
She faces incumbent Republican Ashley Moody, who was appointed to the Senate and is now running for a full term. Heading into Election Day, a St. Pete Polls survey commissioned by Florida Politics showed Moody leading Nixon 49% to 45%, a tighter margin than many had expected earlier in the year.
Trump’s rally appearance was part of a final push to boost Republican turnout in a state he has carried three times. His decision to single out Nixon by name—and to use the “low IQ” label—underscores how seriously Republicans are taking her candidacy, even as polls show Moody ahead.
Earlier Attacks from Trump Allies
The “low IQ” comment is not the first time Nixon has faced racially charged attacks from figures close to Trump. In late August 2026, Trump ally Laura Loomer directed a series of racist and Islamophobic remarks at Nixon, calling her a “ghetto b—-” and mocking the way she speaks. Loomer also targeted Mehdi Hasan in the same tirade, questioning his citizenship.
Nixon later told Newsweek that such attacks were part of a broader environment of harmful rhetoric:
“I’ve been called a dog, a monkey, an ape. Dumb, ignorant, stupid. I’ve been threatened. But that’s what happens when you have people like Donald Trump and Ashley Moody that are spewing hateful, harmful rhetoric designed to divide us.” — Angie Nixon
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What Happens Next in the Race
Election Day is Tuesday, November 3, 2026. Nixon has received endorsements from national Democrats, including former President Barack Obama, and has campaigned on a platform of ending what she calls a “culture of corruption” in Washington and taking on the insurance industry in Florida.
Trump, meanwhile, has made clear he intends to keep attacking Nixon. At the same rally, he also called Democratic gubernatorial candidate David Jolly “low IQ,” suggesting the insult is a standard part of his closing message. Whether it moves voters in a race that polls suggest is closer than expected will be tested at the ballot box on Tuesday.
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