President Donald Trump appeared on second lady Usha Vance's podcast, "Storytime with the Second Lady," where he read the children's book "Presidents Play!" but frequently digressed into commentary on past presidents, his own physique, and his use of the White House. The episode was posted online Friday.
Oval Office Setting and Trump's Reading Habits
Trump pre-taped the appearance in mid-June in the Oval Office, which featured gold accents, a bald eagle stuffed animal, tables of oversized books, and a Lego globe. When Vance asked if he reads for fun, Trump replied he mostly reads newspapers. "I usually read stories about myself," he said.
Commentary on Predecessors
As Trump turned pages, he offered observations. He described Lyndon Johnson as a "tough cookie," Ronald Reagan as a "high-quality person" and "like your father was president," and John F. Kennedy as "the second-most good-looking president." He did not name the best-looking. Richard Nixon, who resigned over Watergate, "got himself into trouble, I guess." Herbert Hoover, president during the Great Depression, invented "Hoover Ball." Trump quipped, "That worked out better for him than the economy."
Barack Obama, a frequent target of Trump's criticism, was shown playing basketball. Trump called him "Barack Hussein Obama" and doubted his basketball skills. He added that Obama's favorite sport is golf but "He won't be in the Master's anytime soon." Regarding Bill Clinton, shown running on the White House track, Trump said, "I don't think I'll ever do that," but noted he likes Clinton "a lot."
Reflections on Physique and White House Projects
Seeing Abraham Lincoln riding a horse, Trump mused, "I'd like to ride horses, too," but worried about falling. He suggested "a nice old horse that's extremely slow, lazy." A picture of John Quincy Adams swimming prompted Trump to mention building "a beautiful ballroom on top of it." When he saw Gerald Ford swimming, Trump said, "I don't know if I look good in a bathing suit. I haven't had a bathing suit in a long time." William Howard Taft, the heaviest president, led Trump to say, "I have to be careful because I don't want to supersede his record." He urged viewers to "keep yourself in good shape."
Message for July 4th
When Vance asked for advice on celebrating July 4th, Trump said, "We have a great country... it's on a little bit of a ledge right now. It can go one way or another... we're going to make it go the other. And we're going to make America greater than ever before."
