Trump jokes about his weight during awkward ballroom presentation: ‘I look so thin’

WASHINGTON, DC: Donald Trump has never shied away from commanding attention, but this time it was his own reflection that appeared to catch him off guard.

The 79-year-old President, on Tuesday, May 19, sparked a conversation about his appearance after vehemently insisting that he “looks so thin” before hiding his waist behind a huge placard, displaying a mock-up of his increasingly more expensive White House ballroom.

Trump jokes about his appearance 

The Commander-in-Chief was defending the construction of a new White House ballroom during an impromptu tour of the construction site when the conversation took a humorous turn as he appeared to admit that he looked heavier beside Chinese President Xi Jinping.

Trump held up a placard of his planned White House ballroom to cover his torso, joking that the “exercise” was a sight for sore eyes among the White House press corps in front of him.

“I look so thin. They’ll say, ‘Oh, he’s gotten so thin’ because I’m holding this,” he said from outside the White House construction site.

“You don’t have to look at my waist. You can look at this. You saw enough of my waist along with President Xi in China,” he continued.

The president held onto the wind-blown placard for nearly two minutes before eventually passing it to an aide.

Trump’s weight has remained a topic of discussion since the White House announced he weighed 224 pounds and was 6′3″ tall during a physical at Walter Reed in April 2025, giving him a BMI of 28.0, which falls in the overweight category.

The figure marks a noticeable drop from Trump’s later first-term years, when he weighed 244 pounds and was medically classified as obese with a BMI of 30.5.

Concerns over Trump’s health

Trump frequently boasts about acing cognitive tests, but that has done little to quiet ongoing discussions surrounding his physical health, often sparked by his bruised hand and swollen ankle.

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt announced in the summer of 2025 that the president had been diagnosed with chronic venous insufficiency, a condition in which leg veins struggle to properly send blood back to the heart, causing blood to collect in the legs.

People have also questioned why he seems extra slow and cautious while descending staircases, though he brushed off concerns by claiming if he's not careful and trips, it will become the "biggest" story.

"I'm not looking to set any speed records," he said on ‘The Dan Bongino Show’ of his pace.

Earlier this month, it was announced that the President is set to get a health evaluation on Tuesday, May 26, at the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center.