'I Usually Read Stories About Myself': Trump Makes Quips About Former Presidents On Usha Vance's Podcast

Last Updated:July 04, 2026, 03:39 IST

President Trump read a children's book on Second Lady Usha Vance's podcast, commenting on past presidents and his own life in the White House.

United States President Donald Trump said he spends much of his reading time going through newspaper stories about himself as he appeared on Second Lady Usha Vance’s children’s podcast, where he read a picture book about US presidents and offered a series of remarks about his predecessors, himself and life in the White House.

Appearing on the latest episode of “Storytime with the Second Lady", posted online on Friday, Trump read Presidents Play!, a children’s book published by the White House Historical Association featuring illustrations of US presidents playing sports and enjoying recreational activities at the White House.

When Vance asked whether he gets time to read for fun while serving as president, Trump replied that he mostly reads newspapers.

“I usually read stories about myself," Trump said.

As he flipped through the book, Trump commented on several former presidents. He described Lyndon Johnson as a “tough cookie," called Ronald Reagan a “high-quality person" and said John F. Kennedy was “the second-most good-looking president."

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Looking at an illustration of Richard Nixon, Trump remarked that the former president “got himself into trouble, I guess." On Herbert Hoover, who was shown playing the game “Hoover Ball", Trump quipped, “That worked out better for him than the economy."

When the book showed Barack Obama playing basketball, Trump referred to him as “Barack Hussein Obama" and questioned his basketball skills. He added that golf was Obama’s favourite sport but remarked, “He won’t be in the Masters anytime soon."

Turning to a page featuring Bill Clinton jogging on the White House track, Trump said, “I don’t think I’ll ever do that," before adding that he likes Clinton “a lot."

An illustration of Abraham Lincoln riding a horse prompted Trump to say, “That’s great. I’d like to ride horses, too." He added, “In fact, it gives me an idea, but when you fall off a horse… I’ve seen too many things happen. Falling off horses is not good." Trump said he would consider riding “a nice old horse that’s extremely slow, lazy" and “maybe ride it."

Looking at a page showing John Quincy Adams swimming in the former Tiber Creek near the White House, Trump used the opportunity to mention the ballroom planned on the White House grounds.

“I think we’re building a beautiful ballroom on top of it," he said.

The president also reflected on his own physique while discussing former presidents. Seeing an illustration of 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."

On William Howard Taft, long regarded as the heaviest US president, Trump said, “I have to be careful because I don’t want to supersede his record." He added, “And a thing like that would be possible if I allowed it to happen. For all of you out there watching, keep yourself in good shape."

Towards the end of the podcast, when Vance asked what message he had for children celebrating Independence Day, Trump said, “We have a great country. We have a country that, it’s on a little bit of a ledge right now. It can go one way or another, you understand that. But we’re going to make it go the other. And we’re going to make America greater than ever before."

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Prisha Vibhavari

Prisha is the Chief Sub-Editor at News18.com, with more than 10 years of experience in national and international news. She specialises in editorial leadership, sharp news judgment, and high-impact st...Read More

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