Donald Trump’s royal welcome speech took a strange personal turn when he told King Charles that his late mother once had a crush on him.
Speaking Tuesday outside the White House during King Charles and Queen Camilla’s state visit, Trump reflected on his mother, Mary Anne MacLeod, who was born in Scotland and had a deep affection for the royal family. The president said she closely followed Queen Elizabeth and would stop to watch royal events on television.
“My mother, I just see it so clearly, she loved, I told the king this, she loved the royal family, and she loved the queen,” Trump said.
He added that his mother would say, “Look, Donald, look how beautiful that is,” whenever Queen Elizabeth appeared on screen.
Then Trump made the comment that sent the speech in a more unexpected direction. “My mother had a crush on Charles, can you believe it?” Trump said. “I wonder what she’s thinking right now!”
Trump’s King Charles Comment Gets Personal
The line came during what was supposed to be a formal welcome for the royal couple, who were visiting Washington, D.C., as part of a state visit.
Trump used the moment to connect his own family history to the royal occasion. His mother came to the United States from Scotland at 19 and later married his father, Fred Trump.
The president said his parents were married for 63 years. That led to another personal aside, this time aimed at Melania Trump, who was seated behind him alongside King Charles and Queen Camilla.
“My mother came to America at 19, met my incredible father,” Trump said. “And, they were married for 63 years.”
Then he turned toward Melania. “And, uh, excuse me, if you don’t mind, that’s a record we won’t be able to match, darling,” Trump said.
Melania Marriage Joke Adds Another Awkward Moment
The crowd laughed, and Trump leaned into the joke.
“I’m sorry, it’s just not going to work out that way,” he said. “We’ll do well, but we’re not going to do that well.”
The comment appeared to be about math rather than marriage trouble. Trump, 79, and Melania, 56, would have to remain married for decades more to match his parents’ 63-year union.
Still, the public delivery gave the moment extra attention. Trump made the joke during a televised speech, with the first lady and the British royals seated directly behind him.
Kimmel Fight Made The Timing More Noticeable
The marriage joke also came shortly after Trump and Melania were pulled into a separate public argument over their relationship.
After the White House Correspondents’ Dinner, Jimmy Kimmel joked that Melania had the “glow” of an “expectant widow.” Melania condemned the comment, calling it “hateful and violent rhetoric.” Trump also called for Kimmel to be fired from ‘Jimmy Kimmel Live.’
Kimmel later said the line was “obviously” about the couple’s age difference and what he called “the look of joy we see on her face every time they’re together.”
So when Trump joked days later that he and Melania would not match his parents’ marriage record, the moment landed in a messier context.
The crush comment may have been the strangest line of the speech. The Melania aside made sure it was not the only one.
