President Donald Trump went off on a tangent about a “trophy wife” during his commencement address at West Point on Saturday—drawing scrutiny and backlash from some critics online.
“He ended up getting a divorce. Found a new wife. Could you say a trophy wife? I guess we can say a trophy wife. It didn’t work out too well,” the president said in his speech in New York, referring to real estate developer William Levitt.
Newsweek has reached out to the White House for comment on Saturday.
Why It Matters
Trump has long faced praise from supporters and criticism from opponents for his off-the-cuff style of speaking. Backers of the president view this as a strength, saying it makes him more relatable and also humorous. Critics, however, often take issue with unusual, and sometimes bizarre, tangents during public remarks.
What To Know
Trump’s West Point remarks about a “trophy wife” quickly went viral online, with many critics reposting the videos on X, formerly Twitter. One clip of president’s comments shared to X racked up over 1 million views as of the time of writing, while another had surpassed 500,000 on the social media platform.
The president was referring to Levitt, best known for mass-produced homes in suburbs throughout the country. These communities became known as “Levittowns.”
Trump told West Point graduates that Levitt, who he described as a “great, great real estate man,” eventually lost his “momentum. That’s when he got a ‘trophy wife,'” according to the president.
“That doesn’t work out to well, I must tell you,” Trump said. “There’s a lot of trophy wives—doesn’t work out. But it made them happy for a little while at least.”
The comments came in front of a group of about 1,000 cadets graduating from the U.S. Military Academy.
Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images
What People Are Saying
Journalist Mehdi Hasan, who previously worked for MSNBC, wrote on X: “Every time he gives a grad speech he says something insanely ridiculous and inappropriate…. He’s an embarrassment to the US—and how the GOP loves him is beyond me. Embarrassing.”
Franklin Leonard, a film producer, wrote on X, in an apparently sarcastic response to the president’s remarks: “Truly, one of the greatest speeches ever given at an American military academy. We are so blessed to have an orator such as this as our leader.”
Jo Carducci, a liberal influencer known as “JoJo from Jerz, wrote on X: “He is such a f***ing disgrace.”
Ron Filipkowski, the editor-in-chief of MeidasTouch, wrote on X: “This is West Point’s graduation. And they were bitching about Kermit the Frog’s speech at Maryland.” (Kermit the Frog, an iconic puppet character, was the commencement speaker at the University of Maryland this week.)
Alex Cole, an influencer on X with over 300,000 followers, wrote on X: “Imagine attending West Point for four years just to get a lecture on Trump’s divorce settlements. Inspiring.” (Notably, the president’s remarks were not related himself.)
What Happens Next?
As the commander-in-chief of the U.S, Trump’s comments and remarks will continue to draw scrutiny from supporters and critics.