Netizens are mocking Donald Trump for calling the prime minister of Iraq “young” and “handsome.” The president commented on the new Iraqi PM’s latest diplomatic visit to the U.S. on Tuesday. This move invited much criticism from social media regarding Trump’s methods of diplomacy.
What Trump said about Ali al-Zaidi during the White House meeting
Donald Trump welcomed the new Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi at the White House on Tuesday, July 14. The president had high praise for his fellow world leader during the meeting. Trump touted the “tremendous chemistry” between him and al-Zaidi and even called the Iraqi PM “young” and “handsome.”
“He’s a young man,” Trump said of al-Zaidi. “He’s young, and he’s handsome, which I don’t like; I’m not happy about it,” the president added, with a playful tap on al-Zaidi’s legs. The remark has since sparked waves of ridicule and mocking jabs from netizens on social media.
One X user wrote, “So Trump’s new diplomatic playbook is ‘flatter the guy and hope the meeting goes smoother.'” Another said, “Why does he have to make comments on everyone’s appearance? So weird.” A third netizen noted, “Add to the list of weird, inappropriate comments about men’s looks.”
During the meeting, Ali al-Zaidi said that the primary goal of his U.S. visit is to announce an “economic partnership” between the two countries.
“Mark my words, I knew what I was doing,” Trump said as he sat down with al-Zaidi in the Oval Office. He continued his praise for the Iraqi PM, saying, “This man is going to be a great leader in the Middle East, beyond Iraq. His influence is going to spread all throughout the Middle East.”
Haider al-Aboudi, a spokesperson for the Iraqi government, recently told reporters that the meeting would mark a shift in bilateral ties “from a framework of crisis management to a strategic economic partnership.” He further stated that the diplomatic visit aims to create a “durable, long-term partnership that serves the shared interests of both countries.”
