Trump's Middle School Reaction To Biden's Dig At His Weight Confirms What We Suspected
No, you didn't accidentally tune in to an episode of "Curb Your Enthusiasm" rather than the first 2024 presidential debate. Joe Biden and Donald Trump really did spar over golf handicaps and the latter's weight — but ridiculous as it was, Trump's response (delivered in a decidedly middle school manner) did hint at something we've long suspected. That is, he's clinging to the claims that he weighs 215 pounds.
ICYMI, the first debate saw Trump use his golfing talents to prove just how young and spritely he was. Biden made it clear he didn't believe that, though, pointing to what many have assumed was a misrepresentation of Trump's weight when he was booked at Fulton County Jail in August 2023 (more on that in a bit). We're hesitant to give a direct quote of Biden's stinger because, well, he said, "You're going to see he's 6-foot-5 and only two hundred and twenty thirve pounds." Red flags regarding Biden's health aside, Trump's reaction was fairly telling — a denial focused exclusively on the height portion of Biden's comments. "Never said I was 6'5," he said. After Biden doubled down, so did Trump. "I never said — I never said that," he said, shaking his head.
In fairness, as reported by ABC in the wake of Trump's release from jail, he was actually listed at 6-foot-3. However, the fact that Trump wouldn't speak to his weight tells us he's fully committed to sticking to that story — no matter how bizarre it sounds.
Trump's reported weight became meme fodder in 2023
As we said, Donald Trump's weight was listed at 215 pounds in the wake of his August 2023 arrest. At the time, someone in Trump's camp told ABC that the figure had been self-reported — which, naturally, prompted a ton of people to call Trump out for lying about his weight. Taking to X, formerly Twitter, those who questioned the stats used side-by-side images of the former president and literal athletes. Some had the same height and weighed more than Trump, and some actually weighed more while being shorter than him. Suffice it to say, things weren't exactly adding up.
Even with all the chatter, though, it's pretty clear Trump's camp is committed to standing by the claims made to the Fulton County Jail. In fact, in yet another middle school-esque move, Trump's doctor actually wrote a letter confirming that his patient really had slimmed down. As seen in the letter posted to Trump's Truth Social account (obvs), his osteopath wrote, "President Trump has reduced his weight through an improved diet and continued daily physical activity, while maintaining a rigorous schedule," as noted by Reuters. Granted, there was no mention of just how much he weighed, but maybe he just couldn't find the key for "thirve."
If this were an episode of "Curb Your Enthusiasm," now would be the moment the theme song played, with all of us looking into the middle distance. Here's hoping the next debate is less juvenile.