Donald Trump calls Elon Musk by wrong name at rally, Internet dubs it 'classic donmentia'

Former president Donald Trump also stumbled over his words while mentioning his plan to eliminate the federal Department of Education
Donald trump refers to Elon Musk as 'Leon' while addressing a rally on September 7, 2024 (Getty Images)
Donald trump refers to Elon Musk as 'Leon' while addressing a rally on September 7, 2024 (Getty Images)

MOSINEE, WISCONSIN: Former president Donald Trump had multiple slip-ups while speaking at a Wisconsin rally on Saturday, September 7, reported Raw Story. The most glaring verbal misfire by the GOP nominee was when he referred to tech billionaire Elon Musk as "Leon" during his speech.

Trump has time and again ridiculed incumbent Joe Biden, 81, for the gaffes in his speeches. However, with Biden suspending his reelection campaign, 78-year-old Trump has found himself to be the oldest candidate running for the White House in the history of the United States and on the receiving end of age-related criticisms.



 

Donald Trump's reference to Elon Musk at rally

Trump was speaking of the aircraft manufacturer Boeing at his rally when he shared, "Boeing, I shouldn’t say anything there is a beautiful Boeing plane right there. But, ehh Boeing had a little hard time, so they are going to save—Leon is going to send them a rocket."

According to the Daily Beast, two NASA astronauts are presently stranded aboard the International Space Station as their Boeing Starliner vessel has been deemed unsafe to make a return to Earth. SpaceX, owned by Musk, is planning a rescue mission for them.

“He looks forward to it, that’s all he thinks about is things like that,” added Trump of Elon Musk, without correcting himself to say the right name.

Donald Trump struggles to say the word 'eliminate'

The slip-up between Leon and Elon was not Trump's only gaffe in the rally, as he later had a brain freeze while saying the word "eliminate."



 

The GOP nominee was sharing his outlook on education policies, when he said, "Ultimately, will li--- (garbled), and you know what we're doing here."

"I say it all the time, I'm dying to get back to do this. We will ultimately eliminate the federal Department of Education," he added.

Internet trolls Donald Trump over his slip-ups

The gaffes in Trump's speech concerned netizens on the social media platform X, and many took to trolling the former President. The following tweets demonstrate the predominant takes.

"Classic Donmentia," wrote a user.



 

"Leon the famous owner of Litter," mocked another, referring to Elon Musk buying Twitter.



 

"Grandpa is having cognitive issues again!" jibed a third.



 

"Nothing to worry about if you’re supporting a septuagenarian with the linguistic skills of a college freshman after 15 shots of Jagermeister," expressed a fourth.



 

"At least, DonOld didn’t call him Elmo," jibed a fifth.



 

"I wonder how many of his 'nicknames' for people are just him being unable to read their name," quipped yet another.



 

This article contains remarks made on the Internet by individual people and organizations. MEAWW cannot confirm them independently and does not support claims or opinions being made online.

GET BREAKING U.S. NEWS & POLITICAL UPDATES
STRAIGHT TO YOUR INBOX.

MORE STORIES

Republican Senate candidate Mike Rogers declined to attend the Fox 2 debate, citing alleged media bias involving moderator Roop Raj
30 minutes ago
The resolution accused Trump’s admin of using 'vicious, quota-driven' paramilitary forces and transforming ICE and CBP into 'dangerous' forces
2 hours ago
Todd Blanche rejects calls for scrutiny after a Russian businessman reportedly spent hundreds of thousands on Trump Jr’s wedding
6 hours ago
Trump says a federal appeal will decide whether the Kennedy Center renovation moves forward after a judge blocked the board’s latest naming plan
6 hours ago
Bernie Sanders said he will introduce a legislation to permanently ban the development of 'super-intelligent' AI
7 hours ago
The Kennedy Center board voted to close as a judge blocked new Trump memorials, intensifying a fight over the institution’s future
7 hours ago
Massie also took the remarkable step of making his resolution privileged, meaning he’s forcing it to the floor for a vote
7 hours ago
Trump says missing Butler evidence has resurfaced as he accuses ex-FBI chief Christopher Wray of mishandling probe
9 hours ago
Kash Patel accused Sen Peter Welch of lying about election operations before abruptly challenging his wealth during a tense exchange
9 hours ago
The push to add Trump’s name began in December 2025, when the Trump-aligned board voted to change the venue’s signage
9 hours ago