Trump floats White House football reunion with predecessors
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- Donald Trump suggested inviting Barack Obama, Joe Biden, and the Bush family to the White House to watch a football game together, making the remark on Second Lady Usha Vance's podcast "Storytime with the Second Lady" released Friday ahead of the 250th anniversary of American Independence.
- The idea came as Trump read from "President's Play!" — published by the White House Historical Association — and turned to a page depicting a president hosting a Super Bowl live viewing at the White House, prompting him to say "Wouldn't that be a nice story? The press would go wild."
- The reunion pitch was notable because Trump routinely criticizes Obama and mocks Biden in public speeches and press conferences, the article notes.
- Trump offered unusually warm praise for Bill Clinton after seeing a page showing Clinton jogging on a White House track, calling him "a nice guy" and saying "I like Bill Clinton a lot. I still do."
- Trump joked about William Howard Taft — shown tossing a baseball in the book — calling him "our heaviest president" and adding he didn't want to "supersede his record."
- Reflecting on presidential service during the episode, Trump said "you're at the White House for a short period of time and it's an honour to be here and you should work for the people."
Why it matters: Trump's pitch to reunite with predecessors he regularly attacks lands days before America marks 250 years of independence, offering a softer public image ahead of that milestone. The setting amplifies the contrast: a president known for combative rhetoric reading a children's book about past leaders while musing about unity.
