Rep. Jasmine Crockett is taking former President Donald Trump up on his latest stunt — an IQ test challenge he issued after calling her and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez “low IQ Democrats.” Appearing on Jimmy Kimmel Live! Wednesday night, the Texas congresswoman turned the jab into a moment of humor and confidence, telling Kimmel, “If he’s down, I’m down.”
Trump’s IQ Challenge
Trump’s challenge came earlier this week during an appearance at Walter Reed Medical Center, where he once again bragged about “acing” a cognitive test administered during his presidency. “They have Jasmine Crockett, a low IQ person,” Trump said in the clip Kimmel played for his audience. “They have AOC — low IQ. You give her an IQ test. Have her pass the exams that I decided to take. Let AOC go against Trump. Let Jasmine go against Trump.”
The James C. Kimmel Cognitive Aptitude and Mental Brilliance Invitational
Jimmy Kimmel delivers the opening monologue during the 96th Oscars at the Dolby Theatre at Ovation Hollywood in Los Angeles on March 10, 2024.
Kimmel, never one to let a Trump soundbite go to waste, quickly seized on the opportunity to turn the boast into late-night theater. “It sounds like a challenge,” he said during his monologue. “Now, as I’ve mentioned, not only do I want to see this contest happen, I want to make it happen. I believe this will be a once-in-a-lifetime television event.” Kimmel even gave it a name: The James C. Kimmel Cognitive Aptitude and Mental Brilliance Invitational. He promised to “give our brilliant, bigly-brained president a chance to teach those left-wing lightweights a thing or two about brain power — live on national television.”
Crockett Is Down
Crockett, appearing via video call, met the bit with her trademark wit and poise. “I know he can’t seem to find himself in the Oval Office to end this shutdown,” she said, “but he does have time to troll me. So listen — if he’s down, I’m down.” Kimmel then asked if she’d noticed any pattern in Trump’s choice of targets when he throws around “low IQ” insults. Crockett didn’t hesitate. “They tend to be women,” she said. “And they tend to be women of color.”
The Elephant In The Room
The exchange drew cheers from the audience — and a knowing nod from Kimmel, who then “tested” Crockett with a few questions of the same variety reportedly found on Trump’s cognitive exam. Holding up a picture of an elephant, he asked, “Can you name this animal?” Crockett laughed, answered correctly, and Kimmel declared, “Wow, you’re gonna crush this.” By the end of the segment, Crockett had made it official: she accepted Trump’s challenge. “Oh, I absolutely accept it,” she said.
Crockett Says She’ll Go Head To Head With Trump
U.S. Rep. Jasmine Crockett, D-Dallas, speaks during a public event hosted by Beto O’Rourke with U.S. Reps. Veronica Escobar, D-El Paso, and Joaquin Castro, D-San Antonio, at the Elmont Event Center’s Grand Ballroom in El Paso on Wednesday, Aug. 20, 2025.
Kimmel has spent much of the week poking fun at Trump’s confusion between an IQ test and a cognitive assessment, which is typically used to screen for early signs of dementia. “There’s only one way to find out,” Kimmel said earlier this week. “Let’s do it on TV. Let’s put together the biggest and greatest IQ test of all time — Donald Trump vs. Jasmine Crockett. Crockett vs. Tubs.” Whether Trump will take the bait is unclear. But for Crockett, the moment underscored a larger truth — that for all the bluster and name-calling, she’s not backing down. As she put it, “If he’s got time to come for me, I’ve got time to show up.”
