Trump reveals the REAL reason he's watching his waistline as he invokes hot dog loving president's 'very large' shadow

By SAMANTHA LOREN, US POLITICAL REPORTER Published: 22:05, 3 July 2026 | Updated: 22:09, 3 July 2026 President Donald Trump took center stage as a special guest on Second Lady Usha Vance's children's podcast 'Storytime with the Second Lady,' but in classic Trump fashion, the scripted reading quickly turned into a freewheeling presidential commentary session and an impromptu presidential history review. What was meant to be a lighthearted reading of the children's book Presidents Play! — published by the White House Historical Association and depicting past presidents enjoying sports and recreation — instead became a wandering tour through Trump's unscripted thoughts on his predecessors, the presidency, and their physiques. Before he began turning the pages, Vance asked if the president reads for leisure, which he answered candidly, 'I end up reading mostly newspapers. I usually read stories about myself.' When the book featured Bill Clinton jogging on the White House track he famously installed, Trump quipped, 'I don't think I'll ever do that.' Before adding, 'I like Bill Clinton a lot, still do.' Trump offered an unexpected compliment to John F Kennedy, calling him 'The second-most good-looking president,' while leaving listeners guessing as to whom he considers number one. An illustration showed William Howard Taft throwing a baseball at a game, which Trump remarked, 'He was a large man. Very large,' he said, adding that Taft 'loved the hot dogs.' 'He was our heaviest president, and I have to be careful because I don't want to supersede his record,' he continued. 'And a thing like that would be possible if I allowed it to happen.' Usha Vance on set of her children's podcast 'Storytime with the Second Lady' resident Donald Trump gestures toward reporters after disembarking from Air Force One at Joint Base Andrews, Maryland on July 1 President Donald Trump and his son Donald Trump Jr. arrive at the White House in Washington on May 3 The tone shifted again when Barack Obama appeared in the book in an illustration playing basketball. Trump, referring to him as 'Barack Hussein Obama,' joked that he doubted Obama's basketball skills before ending any aspirations of a future in professional golf. 'He won't be in the Masters anytime soon.' An illustration of Abraham Lincoln on horseback prompted Trump to reflect on his own riding ambitions. 'That's great. I'd like to ride horses, too,' he said. 'But when you fall off a horse… I've seen too many things happen. Falling off horses is not good.' He floated a safer alternative. 'A nice old horse that's extremely slow, lazy… I would maybe ride it.' A scene showing John Quincy Adams swimming in the historic Tiber Creek — once running past the White House — prompted another digression. 'I think we're building a beautiful ballroom on top of it,' Trump remarked. Physical activity among presidents also appeared to spark self-reflection. When viewing 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.' He later joked about the idea of a presidential gathering, saying, 'Maybe I should invite Barack Hussein Obama, Joe Biden, the Bushes… maybe some of those people to watch a football game together. Wouldn't that be a nice story? The press would go wild.' To which Vance replied, smiling, 'A president reunion? That would be fun.' No comments have so far been submitted. Why not be the first to send us your thoughts, or debate this issue live on our message boards. By posting your comment you agree to our house rules. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual We will automatically post your comment and a link to the news story to your Facebook timeline at the same time it is posted on MailOnline. To do this we will link your MailOnline account with your Facebook account. We’ll ask you to confirm this for your first post to Facebook. You can choose on each post whether you would like it to be posted to Facebook. Your details from Facebook will be used to provide you with tailored content, marketing and ads in line with our Privacy Policy.