'Smartest man in the world' responds to Donald Trump with six-word verdict

The man known for having the "world's highest IQ" has shared his views on Donald Trump following the US president's authorisation of air strikes on Iran's nuclear sites. The US military action, which took place on Saturday (June 21), saw three targets in Iranhit in an operation Trump described as "successful", and he later warned of deploying "force far greater" should Iran retaliate.

Trump, 79, has received a wave of backlash for the recent move, with even normally staunch allies like Tucker Carlson and Steve Bannon criticising him for potentially leading the US into conflict in the Middle East. Now, Dr YoungHoon Kim, holder of the Guinness World Record for "The World's Highest IQ Person Now", has offered his perspective on the US President's handling of the tensions between Iran and Israel.

Dr Kim, from South Korea, claims an IQ of 276, significantly higher than the average score of 100 and nearly twice the 140 threshold considered indicative of a "genius". In an unexpected move over the weekend, he expressed solidarity with Trump in a post on X, explicitly stating his support for the Republican leader.

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Penning his thoughts "as the world's highest IQ record holder," he affirmed: "I stand with President Donald Trump."

In response to Dr. Kim's endorsement, Trump's youngest son, 19-year-old Barron Trump, replied to Dr. Kim's post to express gratitude for the support and label him a "genius," which Dr. Kim reciprocated with a red heart emoji.

However, Dr Kim's stance has drawn sharp criticism from the public. Commenters have highlighted that a high IQ doesn't necessarily equate to qualities like compassion or aptitude in military strategy.

One individual remarked: "Nothing on an IQ test measures compassion, humility or military strategy. About as meaningful as saying, 'As the world's highest IQ record holder, my favourite colour is red'."

Another person commented: "Highest IQ on record yet supports the dumbest man on the planet, make it make sense."

Yale University's research previously cast doubt on the validity of IQ tests as the sole indicator of intelligence. Keith Stanovich, a professor at the University of Toronto, noted in the study that although IQ tests are adept at gauging certain cognitive abilities such as logic and abstract reasoning, they fall short in evaluating critical thinking or sound judgment.

David Perkins of Harvard's Graduate School of Education stated: "A high IQ is like height in a basketball player. It is very important, all other things being equal. But all other things aren't equal. There's a lot more to being a good basketball player than being tall, and there's a lot more to being a good thinker than having a high IQ."

Dr Kim's backing for Trump follows the president's assurance that there would 'hopefully' be no further US military involvement in Iran, while simultaneously issuing a stern warning in response to any potential threat.

On Truth Social, Trump delivered his message in capital letters: "Any retaliation by Iran against the United States of America will be met with force far greater than what was witnessed tonight. Thank you! Donald J. Trump, President of the United States."

Amid escalating tensions between Israel and Iran, this month saw an intensification as Israel claimed to have received intelligence suggesting Iran was nearing a critical threshold in nuclear weapons development.

In retaliation, Israeli forces embarked on "Operation Rising Lion" on June 13, targeting Iranian nuclear sites and infrastructure with airstrikes, prompting a series of counterattacks from both nations.

Since the attacks began, Trump had been weighing up whether or not to involve the US in the conflict, as he had previously said on social media he was in support of a ceasefire between Israel and Iran.

Days before launching nuclear strikes of his own, Trump said he would take up to two weeks to make a decision.