During a campaign speech on Friday, U.S. President Donald Trump joked about the prevalence of the name Mohammad across the Muslim world while ridiculing Iran’s presidency.
“If you’re unsure about someone’s name from the Middle East, just say ‘Mohammad,'” Trump told supporters in Dalton, Georgia. “You have roughly a 65 percent chance. ‘Hello, Mohammad.’ I’ve done this for years, and I’ve never been wrong.”
Mohammad remains among the most common male names in the Muslim world, where parents often name their sons after the Prophet Mohammad, the founder of Islam.
The remarks came as Trump discussed Iran during a rally held in a hangar at Dalton Municipal Airport. He was campaigning for Republican candidates ahead of the November 3 midterm elections.
“Iran is the only country where nobody wants to be president,” Trump said, before feigning to ask several men named Mohammad if they wanted the position. Masoud Pezeshkian has served as Iran’s president since 2024.
The audience in Georgia responded to the joke with muted enthusiasm.
Muslim advocacy organizations have repeatedly condemned Trump’s rhetoric, arguing that it disparages Muslims, immigrants, and ethnic minorities.
Throughout the midterm campaign, he has reiterated similar language targeting Somali and Muslim Americans, including Democratic U.S. Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed and Representative Ilhan Omar of Minnesota.
Trump also reaffirmed his pledge that Iran must never obtain a nuclear weapon. This comes seven months after the United States and Israel initiated a military campaign against Tehran, partly aimed at dismantling its nuclear program.