During a recent gathering with Republican lawmakers, Donald Trump shared a humorous insight into his wife’s views on his public appearances. It turns out Melania Trump has a particular dislike for a specific aspect of his speeches—something not related to his words.

The First Lady has expressed her disapproval of Trump’s mimicked weight-lifting gestures, which he uses to illustrate points during his speeches about transgender athletes. She feels these actions lack the decorum befitting a president.

Furthermore, Melania is not fond of Trump’s signature dance moves, often showcased at the end of his speeches to the tune of the Village People’s “Y.M.C.A.” This lively performance has become a crowd favorite, yet she advised against it, suggesting it might not be presidential.

Trump recounted telling Melania that his supporters genuinely enjoy his dancing, which is a regular highlight of his appearances. However, she countered, saying, “They don’t like it, they’re just being nice to you.”

Despite her critique, Trump remains confident in the enthusiasm his actions generate, claiming that the crowd goes wild for his arm-pumping dance routine. And indeed, both his theatrical weight-lifting and his dancing enjoy popularity among his ardent followers.

And it’s true that both his weight-lifting imitation and dancing are viewed as popular among his loyal base.

During his wandering speech on Tuesday, Trump repeated his claim that Democrats are wrong to allow biological men to compete in women’s sports. But as the president began to mime lifting a barbell above his head, Trump interrupted himself to divulge how the first lady feels about it.

‘My wife hates when I do this,’ Trump admitted. ‘She’s a very classy person, right? She said, ‘It’s so unpresidential.’ I said, ‘But I did become president.’

‘She said, ‘Darling please, the weight-lifting is terrible.’

President Donald Trump gave a dramatic reenactment of a woman being unable to lift heavy weight that a transgender athlete was able to easily 

Trump admitted that First Lady Melania Trump ‘hates’ when he does the bit. ‘She’s a very classy person, right? She said, ‘It’s so unpresidential,” the president revealed during remarks on Tuesday, January 6, 2026 during the GOP Retreat at the Kennedy Center

First Lady Melania Trump watches as her husband dances during the draw for the 2026 World Cup at the Kennedy Center in Washington, DC on December 5, 2025. Trump revealed on January 6, 2026: ‘She hates when I dance… She said, ‘they don’t like it, they’re just being nice to you”

The revelation caused an uproar among Republican lawmakers gathered for their annual retreat on the five-year anniversary of the January 6, 2021 Capitol riot.

More audience feedback ensued when Trump defied his wife’s request and went on with physically mocking how the female athlete was unable to complete the lift while the transgender competitor easily lifted even more weight and broke the world record.

At first he gave a miniature version of his imitation, but then said, ‘I want to be more effusive,’ and gave it another go.

This time the president stuck out his tongue, breathed heavily and acted fatigued with his arms beside his chest to make it look like he was holding a barbell before pretending to drop it on the ground.

Republicans went wild.

The speech was meant to embolden Republicans ahead of a tough midterm election season where, if history repeats itself, could see the party losing its majority in at least one, if not both chambers of Congress.

‘I just want to say this,’ the president said during the conclusion of his lengthy speech where he admittedly went completely off-script. ‘I think I gave you something – it’s just a roadmap. And it’s a roadmap to victory. You have so many good nuggets – you have to use them. If you can sell them, we’re going to win.’

Trump, again defying his wife’s wishes, did his Y.M.C.A. fist-pumping jig at the conclusion of his remarks at the annual GOP Retreat at the Kennedy Center on January 6, 2026

Donald and Melania Trump arrive at Mar-a-Lago for their annual New Year’s Eve party on December 31, 2025

Trump said that he wants to keep the transgender athlete talk on the down low during the 2026 midterm campaign because he doesn’t want to give Democrats the chance to flip their stance.

‘I want to start bringing up about a week before the election, because I don’t want them to correct themselves,’ the president advised, insisting: ‘That’d be a devastating blow for us.’

Trump went on at a few points in his speech to discuss sports, claiming: ‘I’m a big sports person. I love sports!’ 

He called out Ohio Congressman Jim Jordan for being ‘all-American’ in wrestling at Ohio State University.

But the president seemed more concerned with the lawmaker’s potential ‘plastic surgery’ procedures, saying that his ‘cauliflower ear,’ which is a common ear disfiguration condition for wrestlers, has looked better over the years.

He also discussed golf, his favorite pastime.

‘I play speed golf. It’s better that way,’ Trump insisted. ‘You know the expression, ‘Miss it quick’? No, I play speed golf.’

He then contradicted the self deprecating statement, claiming: ‘But I’m a good golfer. Everybody that I’ve beaten in this group – I love golf.’

‘But I don’t get to play much,’ he lamented, despite spending almost every weekend at one of his golf courses.