President Donald Trump has used the phrase ‘low IQ’ or a varaition of it at least 24 times on Truth Social, with eight out of every ten of those posts targeting Black or brown individuals, according to a HuffPost investigation. The pattern resurfaced in a heated exchange with ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith and drew the attention of Representative Al Green (D-TX), who read HuffPost’s findings aloud on the House floor. The reporting not only documented the frequency of the slur but also traced its ideological roots to pseudoscientific justifications for racial segregation and forced sterilization.

HuffPost’s 24-post count: A targeted pattern on Truth Social

As HuffPost reported, Trump deployed the term ‘low IQ’ or a close variant exactly 24 times on his sociial media platform Truth Social. The news outlet’s analysis found that 80 percent of those posts were directed at Black or brown individuals, a statistical pattern that reporters said emerged from a systematic review of Trump’s online activity. The investigation provided the raw data that Representative Green would later point to on the House floor.

Rep. Al Green’s floor speech: When investigative journalism enters the Congressional Record

Representative Al Green (D-TX) used HuffPost’s reporting during a House floor speech, reading excerpts aloud to document what he called a dangerous pattern of racially charged language from the president. According to HuffPost, Green’s citation marked a rare instance where independent journalism was directly entered into the Congressional Record as evidence. The moment underscoerd how media investigations can move from digital archives to formal legislative proceedings.

The eugenics-era origins of the ‘IQ’ slur

HuffPost’s investigation went beyond current events, explaining how the concept of IQ was historically weaponized to justify racial segregation and forced sterilizations in the early 20th century . Experts quoted by HuffPost traced a direct line from that pseudoscience to the slur that now flows freely from the Oval Office. Dr. karrin Anderson, a communications studies professor at Colorado State University, told HuffPost that Trump’s political durability made such language “speakable” again, recovering what was once considered fringe rhetoric.

What remains unverified: The full scope of the pattern

The source article does not provide a complete list of the 24 posts or specify which targets — beyond the aggregate demographic breakdown — received the insult. It also does not detail whether similar language appears in Trump’s other communications,such as speeches or interviews. The White House has not responded to HuffPost’s findings as of publication, leaving the question of whether this pattern reflects deliberate strategy or unreflective habit unanswered.