US President Donald Trump attacked radio personality Charlamagne Tha God on Sunday, calling him a “racist sleazebag” and a “low IQ individual” after the host criticised Trump’s presidency and commented on the ongoing Jeffrey Epstein controversy.
Charlamagne, whose real name is Lenard McKelvey, appeared on a Fox News show hosted by the president’s daughter-in-law and former RNC co-chair.
According to AP, when asked to rate Trump’s presidency, Charlamagne replied, “I wouldn’t give it a good rating simply because the least of us are still being impacted the worst.”
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He acknowledged that he personally benefited from Trump-era tax breaks but said policies that “take away Medicaid from people” or leave them financially worse off are unacceptable. He added that while Trump may be a “once-in-a-lifetime” political figure, the country has a chance for a “huge reset.”
Charlamagne also argued that traditional conservatives may use the Epstein case to reclaim the Republican Party from Trump’s MAGA movement. “I think there’s a political coup going on right now in the Republican Party that people aren’t paying attention to,” he said on the show, as per AP, adding, “The Epstein thing is going to be a way for traditional conservatives to take their party back… and not piss off the MAGA base.”
His comments came as frustration has mounted among Trump supporters over the Justice Department’s decision not to release additional Epstein-related documents, a reversal that has fed conspiracy theories and angered parts of the MAGA base.
As reported by The New York Times, Trump’s administration had earlier hinted at releasing such files, only to backtrack in recent weeks.
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Trump: ‘He knows nothing about me’
In a lengthy post on Truth Social, Trump dismissed Charlamagne as someone who “has no idea what words are coming out of his mouth.” He went on to list what he described as his accomplishments, including ending multiple wars, closing the southern border, and “creating the greatest economy.”
Trump also questioned Charlamagne’s nickname, writing, “Why is he allowed to use the word ‘God’ when describing himself? Can anyone imagine the uproar there would be if I used that nickname?”
He further accused the radio host of voting for former Vice President Kamala Harris and mocked his intelligence, calling him a “dope.”
The radio host, who has interviewed both Trump and Harris in past election cycles, also floated an unconventional 2028 ticket, suggesting comedian Jon Stewart for president with Stephen Colbert as his running mate.
(With inputs from AP, The New York Times)
