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

Susie Wiles' departure followed reports that Trump was unhappy with his advisers over weak midterm strategy and was considering changes
2026-11-06T21:11:35.000Z
James Comer criticized the lack of a clear Iran strategy and said Republican voters were more dissatisfied with the situation than Democrats
2026-11-06T20:58:36.000Z
John Sununu, who lost his Senate bid for New Hampshire, accused President Trump of failing to fulfill his promise to tackle corruption, claiming that “his family is on every transaction"
2026-11-06T19:00:05.000Z
President Donald Trump floated a ‘big, beautiful’ deal for Ukraine that could involve European countries, leaving European capitals puzzled
2026-11-06T17:22:25.000Z
Monument proposed to celebrate the 250th anniversary of American Independence, the Triumphal Arch 250-foot structure at Memorial Circle, between the Arlington Memorial Bridge and Arlington National Cemetery, near Washington, DC
2026-11-06T15:59:49.000Z
Steve Scalise asked Republican committee chairs to identify potential targets across Donald Trump's administration and prepare for the incoming oversight agenda
2026-11-06T05:56:05.000Z
Abdul El-Sayed said he was looking forward to working with anyone who is 'interested in getting money out of politics, putting money in pockets, and passing Medicare for All'
2026-11-06T05:37:13.000Z
Donald Trump is appealing his 34-count hush money conviction, arguing presidential immunity and federal campaign finance laws protect him
2026-11-06T05:27:26.000Z
'He's distancing himself from his father without giving up the political value of the Trump name,' an insider said
2026-11-06T05:01:43.000Z
The White House Office of Public Liaison reportedly sent a memo on November 5, two days after Democrats won control of both the House and Senate
2026-11-06T04:33:47.000Z