Called Stupid and Stubborn, Prabowo: I Must Remain Vigilant

President Prabowo Subianto has admitted to being aware of the frequent insults directed at him, ranging from being called stupid to stubborn. He responds to these various insults with a vigilant attitude. According to him, all slanders and insults serve as reminders for him to remain cautious. “If we are slandered and insulted, regard it as a warning so that we stay vigilant,” Prabowo said at the Presidential Briefing for the Working Meeting of the Indonesian Government Members of the Merah Putih Cabinet, at the State Palace, Jakarta, on Wednesday (8/4/2026). Prabowo explained that when called stupid, he must be even more vigilant in gathering intelligent people to help his government. Similarly, when called stubborn. “Prabowo is stupid, wow, I must be vigilant if I am stupid. I must gather intelligent people to help me. The last one is Prabowo is stubborn, if I am called stubborn, yes, I must accept that as… I must check if my head is hard or what?” he elaborated. If called stubborn, he feels it is no problem because, according to him, the nation’s founders were able to create Indonesia’s sovereignty because of that trait. “For a nation, sometimes stubbornness is needed. In the past, our founding fathers were stubborn; better to die than be colonised again. Stubborn, not wanting to be colonised again, stubborn. Our leaders were stubborn, red and white to the death,” Prabowo revealed.