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

WH counsel told a judge Trump invoked executive privilege to shield communications with advisers and Kennedy Center employees over official duties
2026-10-16T08:01:26.000Z
So far, Donald Trump has not endorsed Benjamin Netanyahu in Israel's October 27 election
2026-10-16T07:18:58.000Z
According to FEC filings, Elon Musk contributed $75 million to the Senate Leadership Fund on September 9 and another $83 million on September 23
2026-10-16T06:26:37.000Z
Marco Rubio questioned how many political candidates could win elections by promising to put America’s interests behind those of other countries
2026-10-16T05:58:53.000Z
Virginia contractor Agile1Tech’s initial $22,000 contract was expanded by $27,600 to cover three additional chandeliers
2026-10-16T05:38:23.000Z
The tense exchange unfolded during a healthcare event in Virginia Beach, where Kennedy appeared alongside Republican Rep Jennifer Kiggans
2026-10-16T05:18:48.000Z
Donald Trump said he had declined criminal investigations into political rivals but hinted another impeachment attempt could change his stance
2026-10-16T05:15:07.000Z
'President Trump keeps all options on the table to ensure that Iran can never have a nuclear weapon,' a White House spokesperson said
2026-10-16T05:06:30.000Z
Donald Trump criticized John Cornyn and Karl Rove as 'weak and ineffective political hacks,' claiming they were making it harder for Ken Paxton to win
2026-10-16T04:55:01.000Z
Multiple reports found no evidence that Katie Zacharia had passed a bar exam or been admitted to practice law in any US state
2026-10-16T03:24:35.000Z