New Delhi: US President Donald Trump said he spends much of his reading time reading newspaper stories about himself.
In an interview with Second Lady Usha Vance on her podcast, Storytime with the Second Lady, Trump was asked whether he has much time to read for pleasure while serving as president and what he likes to read.
“I usually read stories about myself,” Trump replied.
The podcast features guests reading picture books to children. In the latest episode, Trump read Presidents Play!, a children’s book published by the White House Historical Association that features illustrations of American presidents enjoying sports and recreational activities at the White House.
As Trump read the children’s book about past presidents, he also commented on several of his predecessors.
Trump described the 36th president of the United States, Lyndon B Johnson, as a “tough cookie.” He called Ronald Reagan a “high-quality person” and remarked, “It’s like your father was president.”
Trump also joked about being the most handsome president, while calling John F Kennedy the “second-most good-looking”.
“John Kennedy — he was a great guy, handsome. He was the second-most good-looking president, they say,” said Trump.
Discussing Richard Nixon, the only US president to resign from office after becoming embroiled in the Watergate scandal, Trump said, “He got himself into trouble, I guess.”
Flipping further through the book, Trump came to a section on Herbert Hoover, who served as president during the Great Depression, playing a game called “Hooverball,” which he invented himself.
“It worked out better for him than the economy did,” Trump said.
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Obama’s basketball skills
President Donald Trump’s next comment was on former President Barack Obama, a frequent target of his criticism. As he came to an illustration of Obama playing basketball, Trump referred to him as “Barack Hussein Obama” and questioned his basketball skills.
“I don’t know if he’s a good basketball player. I tend to doubt it,” Trump said.
He added that while Obama enjoys playing golf, “he won’t be in the Masters anytime soon,” referring to the prestigious professional golf tournament.
Trump also spoke about the idea of hosting a White House football reunion featuring former presidents, including Obama and Joe Biden, saying “the press would go wild.”
Trump also stopped at an illustration of Gerald Ford, the 38th US president, swimming in the White House pool.
“I don’t know if I look good in a bathing suit. I haven’t worn a bathing suit in a long time,” Trump joked. “I’m too busy.”
When he got to William Howard Taft, who was known for his large physique, Trump joked about his own weight, noting that Taft “was our heaviest president.”
“I have to be careful because I don’t want to beat his record,” Trump said.
(Edited by Theres Sudeep)