Second Lady Usha Vance is setting out to smash records as she invites the one individual who can make her husband falter to appear on her podcast.
Two weeks after Vice President JD Vance joined “Storytime with the Second Lady,” she invited President Donald Trump.
Launched in March to promote reading, the online children’s literacy program features guests sharing beloved children’s books with families. Yet this episode seemed to confirm critics’ deepest suspicions.
Trump appeared as this week’s special guest reader during a pre-recorded interview in mid-June, set against what looked like an animated rendition of the Oval Office.
“I end up reading mostly newspapers. I usually read stories about myself,” the president said during the discussion about books.
At one point, Usha asked Trump whether he still reads for pleasure.
He then seized an unexpected book from the stacks beside him and read it on camera.
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Instead of a full novel, Trump pulled out “Presidents Play!,” a slim, picture-first volume with few words from the White House Historical Association. It depicts the former presidents at leisure.
He then made a bizarre remark about his own childlike reading level.
“When I was growing up we had a book called ‘Run, Spot, Run.’ That was the title of the book, and every sentence was of that complexity,” Trump said.
He then wandered off-script, narrating the illustrations of the former presidents as though guiding a tour, injecting his own opinions along the way.
Usha Vance just asked Trump if he has time to read.
Barack Obama: “Reading is the gateway skill that makes all other learning possible.”
Thomas Jefferson: “I cannot live without books.”
Donald Trump: “I usually read stories about myself” pic.twitter.com/fcclDbTCIc— Brian Krassenstein (@krassenstein) July 3, 2026
Trump described William Howard Taft as “a very large man” who “loved the hot dogs at the baseball games,” adding, “I have to be careful, because I don’t want to surpass his record.”
He even spoke about Lyndon B. Johnson’s “tough” persona, and at one point, he turned to the presidents who are still living, such as Bill Clinton, whom he said he “likes a lot.”
Trump offered a teasing remark questioning whether Barack Obama is as skilled at golf as he is at basketball, adding, “he won’t be in the Masters anytime soon.”
He wrapped up by floating a bipartisan Super Bowl invitation to Obama, Biden, and “the Bushes,” seemingly forgetting that George H. W. Bush died in 2018.
Trump couldn’t resist taking a jab at Obama, even while reading a children’s book lmao:
Barack Hussein Obama as a basketball player. I don’t know if he was a good player. I tend to doubt it. His favorite sport is golf—but he won’t be in the Masters anytime soon. pic.twitter.com/lPPpkGDfIt— johnny maga (@johnnymaga) July 3, 2026
“Wouldn’t that be a nice story? The press would go wild,” Trump said, clearly more excited by the prospect than by actually reading the book.
Social media did not spare him.
One user wrote, “Usha Vance just asked Trump if he has time to read. Barack Obama: ‘Reading is the gateway skill that makes all other learning possible.’ Thomas Jefferson: ‘I cannot live without books.’ Donald Trump: ‘I usually read stories about myself.’”
Another commented, “Correction, he has stories read to him in short sound bites. No way he reads himself.” A third added, “Did he just say he only reads about himself… lol, wow! Such a narcissist.”
One more noted, “His favorite subject. Unbelievably pathetic.”
Yet another pointed to Air Force One’s staged shelves that were highlighted in a photo shared by Karoline Leavitt: “None of the books behind her have titles. They just say Library.”
“Even the pictures confuse him,” quipped another observer.
Two other Trump critics stated, “He does not read, and certainly not for ‘fun’” and “He doesn’t read. He can’t read.”
This moment aligns with a familiar pattern.
Promoted as a public Bible reading, Trump’s appearance during the week-long America Reads the Bible celebration shifted unexpectedly. While reading from 2 Chronicles, he never looked at the actual Bible before him, relying entirely on a teleprompter instead.
This wasn’t the first time Trump appeared uneasy about reading aloud.
During a February meeting with United Kingdom Prime Minister Keir Starmer, he asked, “Am I supposed to read it right now?” after receiving a letter from King Charles. Interestingly, “Saturday Night Live” alum Pete Davidson once claimed that the president simply can’t read and improvises when challenged.
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Danielle Brooks
I am a staff writer at New York Beacon, where I focus on culture, entrepreneurship, and the emerging voices redefining Black America. My work highlights innovators, artists, and founders whose stories often unfold beyond mainstream headlines but shape communities in meaningful ways. Through precise reporting and thoughtful storytelling, I aim to document progress, challenge narratives, and contribute to a stronger Black press tradition.