Donald Trump Takes the Stage Bragging About Who Visits Him at the White House — Then Says the One Thing He Was Warned Not to

Donald Trump has once again attracted attention over the way he talks about women’s appearance while speaking in public.

The US president was addressing law enforcement officials on Long Island on Friday, August 14, when his speech suddenly moved away from crime figures. Trump began talking about people who regularly visit him at the White House and thank him because they say they now feel safer.

While telling the story, Trump repeatedly described some of the women as “young, beautiful girls.”

He said the phrase several times before admitting that he knew he was probably not supposed to describe them that way.

Trump then continued, calling the women young, gorgeous and beautiful. He explained that they sometimes approach him at the White House and ask if they can speak with him.

He acted out one of the conversations, pretending to be a woman thanking him. According to Trump, the woman told him that around a year and a half earlier, she had been frightened to leave her apartment. But she now felt safe enough to walk to the White House every morning.

Trump said he regularly receives similar messages from different people, including men and women of different ages. He said they thank him because they believe the situation in Washington has become safer.

However, it was his repeated comments about the appearance of young women that quickly attracted attention online.

After a video of the speech was shared on X, a number of people criticised Trump’s choice of words. Some questioned why he repeated the description several times, while others said they found the comments uncomfortable.

One person pointed out that Trump said it three times in a row and argued that most people speaking publicly would receive criticism for talking that way.

Others focused on the reaction of the law enforcement officers standing behind Trump. Some people in the room could be heard laughing and applauding during parts of his remarks, which also caused criticism online.

One social media user questioned why Trump referred to them as “young, beautiful girls” rather than simply women. Another said the comments made them uncomfortable, while others criticised those who appeared to applaud.

Trump appeared at the event alongside Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman, Attorney General Todd Blanche and FBI Director Kash Patel.

The main subject of the event was crime. Trump claimed Washington, D.C., now had very little crime compared with the situation when he returned to office.

He described the city as having previously been in a terrible condition and said it had now become one of the safest cities.

Trump declared a crime emergency in Washington in August last year. His administration sent federal law enforcement officers to work alongside local police, while National Guard members from outside Washington were also deployed.

Since then, Trump has repeatedly taken credit for falling crime levels.

However, reporting by The Washington Post has questioned how much of the improvement can directly be linked to the federal intervention. An analysis of more than 16,000 arrest records concluded that Trump’s description of the impact was more straightforward than the figures suggested.

This is also not the first time Trump has attracted attention for calling a woman “beautiful” while carrying out official duties.

During a previous White House briefing, Trump commented on the appearance of reporter Hariana Verás Victória. He said he had been warned not to make such comments because they could be considered politically incorrect.

Despite that warning, Trump went ahead and called the reporter beautiful. He joked that saying such a thing could damage or even end his political career.

Trump has made similar jokes before.

He previously made a comparable remark about former Attorney General Pam Bondi, saying he should not call her beautiful because doing so could supposedly cause problems for his political career.

Trump also used similar language when speaking about Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni during a Middle East peace summit last year.

Speaking in front of the crowd, Trump described Meloni as a beautiful young woman. He then turned towards her and asked whether she minded being called beautiful before repeating the compliment.

Despite repeatedly acknowledging that comments about women’s appearance can attract criticism, Trump has continued making them.

His use of the word “beautiful” has not been limited to women either. Trump once described NFL quarterback Jaxson Dart as a handsome and “beautiful” guy. Days later, he also praised the player’s physical build, describing his legs as being like tree trunks.

Trump’s latest remarks have therefore brought the issue back into the spotlight, with supporters in the room appearing amused while critics online questioned whether comments about the appearance of young women were appropriate during an official speech focused on law enforcement and crime.