While sitting with Argentine President Javier Milei on Tuesday, October 14, US President Donald Trump veered from policy talk to poke fun at his own physique. The 79-year-old joked that his body might not be “appreciated” in swimwear, comparing himself to former President Joe Biden, who’s often seen at Delaware’s Rehoboth Beach, per PEOPLE.
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Donald Trump makes beach body joke
“I’d like to be like Biden. I’d like to go to the beach,” Trump said, smiling, before adding, “You won’t see me in a bathing suit.”
“My legs are not quite as thin as Biden’s. My arms are slightly larger. My body is a little bit larger than his,” he said, adding that he was not sure it would be appreciated on the beach. “But I’m not going to take a chance.”
From jokes to foreign policy
Milei laughed along as cameras rolled, but the tone shifted when Trump pivoted to business. He told the far-right Argentine leader that the US was prepared to send $20 billion in financial aid - but only if Milei’s coalition stayed in power after Argentina’s midterm elections later this month.
{{/usCountry}}Milei laughed along as cameras rolled, but the tone shifted when Trump pivoted to business. He told the far-right Argentine leader that the US was prepared to send $20 billion in financial aid - but only if Milei’s coalition stayed in power after Argentina’s midterm elections later this month.
{{/usCountry}}“If he wins, we’re staying with him,” Trump said. “And if he doesn’t win, we’re gone.” CNN noted that it was rare for a sitting US president to publicly link foreign funding to a specific party’s success at the polls, especially with the government shutdown.
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Argentina mid-term election 2025
The October 26 vote will decide half of Argentina’s Chamber of Deputies and one-third of its Senate. It will also test President Milei’s popularity since taking office in December 2023 on an anti-bureaucracy platform that mirrored Trump’s 2016 campaign style.
Trump’s blend of humor and political posturing is not new. But Tuesday’s moment - blending a beach-body quip with a $20 billion aid condition - caught reporters off-guard.
Still, the exchange gave social media plenty to chew on. “PROOF PRESIDENT TRUMP IS A COMEDIAN,” one user posted on X.
Another user wrote, “Whether you like him or not, one has to admit, he does have a sense of humor."
Trump’s exchange with Milei blended light-hearted banter with serious diplomacy, a trademark of his public style.
FAQs:
What did Donald Trump say about his body?
Trump joked during a meeting with Argentina’s president that his “larger” frame would not be “appreciated on the beach.”
Who was Trump meeting when he made the joke?
He was hosting Argentine President Javier Milei at the White House on October 14.
What else did Trump announce during the meeting?
Trump said the US would provide Argentina with $20 billion in aid, but only if Milei’s coalition won the upcoming election.