Times Donald Trump Clapped Back At Rumors About Himself
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Love him or hate him, you can't deny that the United States has never had a president quite like Donald Trump. This isn't just because he's made history as the first president to be arrested after serving office but also because of his apparent inability to ignore rumors about himself. In the book "I'll Take Your Questions Now" by Stephanie Grisham, former White House Press Secretary, she claims Trump read every piece of material published about him. His tendency to respond assertively to every rumor suggests this might be true. Trump's frequent and loud responses to rumors and allegations have been given via press conferences, social media posts, and interviews.
The former president's manner of responses is another thing that is particularly unique to him. While previous presidents chose to debunk important rumors formally and with indisputable evidence — like when Barack Obama released his birth certificate to discredit the birther rumors, which Trump notably promoted — Trump often takes a different stance. His responses are often direct and entertaining in a bid to paint the rumors as unserious or unfounded. Here are some of the times Trump clapped back at rumors.
Donald Trump invites a campaign-goer to verify he doesn't wear a toupee
Donald Trump's wispy blond hair is undoubtedly a part of his memorable appearance. Consequently, there's been a lot of chatter about it. His hair and how it's styled has been described by media outlets as strange and was even compared to a foreign raccoon. Many also suspected that he wore a toupee. Although these allegations were widespread, they blew up when Trump addressed them on stage during a "Make America Great Again" campaign in Greenville, South Carolina, in August 2015.
The former president read an excerpt from the front page of The New York Times, where Ricardo Sanchez referred to him as "The Man of the Toupee." Trump's response to the allegations amused the crowd. "I don't wear a toupee. It's my hair, I swear," he said in his distinctive voice while pushing his hair back. He then invited a campaign-goer onto the stage to touch his hair and confirm it was real.
Trump counters allegations that he smells
One of the highlights of December 2023 was former Republican Representative Adam Kinzinger's statement regarding President Trump's alleged odor. "I'm genuinely surprised how people close to Trump haven't talked about the odor. It's truly something to behold. Wear a mask if you can," he tweeted on December 16. The post quickly garnered almost 30,000 likes and thousands of retweets, with the comments section filled with speculations about the former president's alleged odor.
Unsurprisingly, a Trump representative spoke to The Independent, claiming Kinzinger was responsible for the odor: "Adam Kinzinger farted on live TV and is an unemployed fraud." The spokesperson further accused Kinzinger of "disgrace" and" 'disrespect" because his life wasn't where he wanted it to be.
Unfortunately, the former president has been accused of having an odor before. In November 2023, Kathy Griffin alleged on "The Mary Trump Show" podcast that Trump smelled "like body odor with kind of like a scented makeup products." However, in 2020, Piers Morgan told The Guardian that the former president smelt of "quite expensive aftershave" and a "whiff of hairspray."
Trump denies having small hands at a Fox News debate
One of the most popular anti-Donald Trump disses started in 2016 at a rally in Salem, Virginia. Marco Rubio, who was competing in the Florida Republican primary, sent several personal insults Trump's way as retaliation for the former president previously calling him "little." He poked fun at Trump's spray tan and called his hands small, adding, "You know what they say about guys with small hands... You can't trust 'em!"
On March 3, 2016, Trump publicly addressed Rubio's comments. "Look at those hands. Are they small hands?" he asked the crowd, showing his hands. Trump went on amidst cheers, "And he referred to my hands; if they are small, something else must be small. I guarantee you there's no problem, I guarantee."
However, Trump was fact-checked by The Hollywood Reporter, which accessed a bronze casting of his right hand. The publication reported that it measured 7.25 inches, ranking Trump's hand smaller than the average man's hand size of 7.6 inches. Trump's hands seem proportionally smaller than normal, given that the average man is about 5 feet 9 inches tall, whereas he stands at 6 feet 2 inches.
Donald Trump refutes claims that he bullied his way into Home Alone 2
Before Donald Trump became president, some of his most famous television appearances outside of "The Apprentice" were on WWE and "Home Alone 2." In the latter, his cameo lasts less than 10 seconds and consists of Trump saying a single phrase, "Down the hall and to the left," giving Kevin McCallister directions in the movie.
Surprisingly, in 2020, director Chris Columbus revealed to Insider that Trump "did bully his way into the movie." When the "Home Alone 2" team requested to use Trump's hotel for the shoot, he allegedly insisted that they pay the usual fee and include him in the movie. Columbus claimed they planned to cut him out after the first screening, but the viewers cheered when Trump appeared on screen. Subsequently, he decided to leave Trump's cameo.
However, on December 27, 2023, the former president's reply to Columbus's three-year-old claims via Truth Social showed that Trump remembers his "Home Alone 2" Cameo differently than the director. "30 years ago (how time flies!), Director Chris Columbus, and others, were begging me to make a cameo appearance in Home Alone 2... I was very busy, and didn't want to do it. They were very nice, but above all, persistent. I agreed, and the rest is history! Now, however, 30 years later, Columbus (what was his real name?) put out a statement that I bullied myself into the movie. Nothing could be further from the truth."
Donald Trump calls tanning allegations an attempt to demean
Another distinct aspect of former President Donald Trump's appearance is his orange skin. Many have speculated that this results from tanning, especially when the tan lines around his eyes become visible. Others have speculated that he wears makeup, offering photo evidence of Donald Trump with versus without makeup. In 2020, photographer William Moon captured Trump with his hair blown back by the wind, exposing the tan lines around the edges of his hair and the back of his neck. For many, this was the final confirmation that the former president frequently used tanning beds.
When the pictures blew up on social media, Trump took to X (formerly Twitter) to deny the accusations, claiming the photo was edited. "More Fake News. This was photoshopped, obviously, but the wind was strong and the hair looks good? Anything to demean!" However, one commenter pointed out that similar images were available on Getty Images, lending credibility to them. Another X user commented, "It's not photoshopped, which is why it bothers you so much." Others posted more media where the tan lines were visible. It's safe to say that the tanning debate isn't one Trump will be winning anytime soon.