December 11, 2024

"He’s a good-looking guy. He looked really, very handsome last night. Some people look better in person? He looked great. He looked really nice, and I told him that."

Who said it? And who did he say it about?

Trump said it about Prince William, quoted in "Prince William’s Chat With Trump Shows Why Royals May Be Potent Diplomatic Tool/President-elect Donald J. Trump has a reverence, bordering on awe, for the royal family. British diplomats hope that will help safeguard relations with Washington in a fractious political climate" (NYT).

Isn't it fun to go ahead and talk about how people look? But is it even okay? Trump just says what he thinks... or some of what he thinks... or a cool and spontaneous re-working of what he thinks. Obviously, he doesn't say all that he thinks. He didn't say, "He's young, but he's bald. So bald. My hair is real. A little strange, but real. Tug on it. It's attached. But I like the bold, bald look that Prince William has so nicely balanced with a beard. A good beard. A trim beard. Like J.D. Vance, who is also a really good-looking guy. Looks like a fat guy, but isn't fat. How does he do that? I'm doing the opposite. Actually fat, but not looking fat. Not that fat. But RFK Jr. is going to take away my cheeseburgers and fries. He's going to come in there and say no. No cheeseburger. No fries. What a guy! A very handsome guy. Big muscles. I ask him, how do you get muscles like that when you're 70? He's got the hair too. Kennedy hair. I love that hair. The Kennedys are always known for their hair. Ever seen a bald Kennedy? No, there can't be a bald Kennedy. The Kennedys do not do bald. But the royals. Wow. That William! He's a good looking guy...."

67 comments:

R C Belaire said...

AA could be -- perhaps is! -- Trump Lite. I think the Orange Man is having a positive effect on her. Great riff.

pacwest said...

You're getting good with the Trump impersonation. When do you take the show on the road?

Tofu King said...

Amazing how the young NYT writers can get inside Trump's head to tell us about the awe he has for British royals. Where do they find these people?

Lazarus said...

Season 6 was a downer. Too much waiting for people to die or get married. The big surprise was how much angling and finagling Kate's mother did to throw her in William's path. It was a worthy end to a good series, though. The show also probably helped to prevent the real-life monarchy soap opera from being cancelled for the foreseeable future. It did a lot to humanize Charles, which isn't hard to do. It also put Harry's troubles and antics into context and made them easier to understand.

mikee said...

I for one recall that Trump was lambasted for supposedly misbehaving in his meeting with Queen Elizabeth II, when he shook her hand rather than bowing. Some of us thought that it was indicative of Trump recognizing that while she was Queen of England, she wasn't his Queen, or the Queen of the US, and treating her according to US protocol, not British.

Talking about someone's looks after a supposedly serious meeting is simply a way of not talking about the contents of the serious meeting. Syria just fell, ISIS & Al Queda now run that country, and there are problems with influxes of mideast migrants across Europe. None of that needs discussed in public by a guy who was previously impeached twice and had his appointees criminally prosecuted through talking to the FBI.

Quayle said...

Althouse reminding us that she once lived in New Jersey.

Peachy said...

NYT:
"Trump said it about Prince William, quoted in "Prince William’s Chat With Trump Trump has a reverence, bordering on awe, for the royal family."

Again with the bullshit mind-reading.

Wince said...

Why would you need AI Trump when you have AA Trump?

Former Illinois resident said...

Prince William seems to be channeling his distant relative Czar Nicholas II, hope he doesn't have same deposed outcome. Royals seem to be on last legs of their dynasty.

Howard (not that Howard) said...

Count me among those who think Althouse hit it out of the park.

doctrev said...

President Trump might get along well personally with Prince William, but that's not going to change his perspective on the EU even if he did like Keir Starmer. Which he doesn't. I'm endlessly amused at the fact people claim President Trump is easily manipulated, yet can't ever manage to do it themselves.

Regime media is only useful at keeping tbe drones in line, and even that isn't working well, with the example of Gaza.

Mkd said...

Bravo!

wildswan said...

The effect of Trump's comments is to make the Royals look better and the English people will like this. They don't really like anyone but themslves criticizing the Royals though they understand it's inevitable. It's like being the mother of a Senator. The point is that Trump comes out of it all looking better to the majority of the English - and that kind of underlying social current is just what the Dems are disregarding. (Dear Dems: Keep the stupor going, fellows. You're right about everything.) And if Trump seems a bit of a cocky Yank, the English expect that from the cocky Yanks and like to see that all is proceeding per usual.
Step One of Let's Make Deal in Europe (England Section) - Done.

Earnest Prole said...

Trump’s admiration of the British Royal Family must be viewed in the context of Trump’s own family: His mother began her life as an impoverished Scottish peasant in one of the most dismal villages in all of Great Britain.

Christopher B said...

Better look than Obama bowing the Saudi King but sending the Queen a CD of his speeches.

Krumhorn said...

Nice work, Ann. You got the rhythm and stream of thought perfectly.

- Krumhorn

David53 said...

My prompt to Grok - Write me a paragraph in the style of Ann Althouse imitating Trump saying Prince Harry is handsome.

Grok’s response - Here's an attempt at imitating Ann Althouse's style discussing Trump's comments on Prince Harry:

As I sit here in my Madison, Wisconsin home, I can't help but chuckle at the latest absurdity from our 47th President, Donald Trump. In a truly Trumpian moment, captured by the ever-vigilant cameras of the media, he proclaimed with that signature braggadocio of his, "You know, Prince Harry, he's got this, like, really handsome face, doesn't he? Very handsome. I mean, I'm not saying he's more handsome than me because, you know, nobody is, but for a royal, he's doing pretty good." Now, whether this is Trump's bizarre attempt at diplomacy or just another off-the-cuff remark to stir the pot, one can only speculate. But there's something undeniably entertaining about the way he reduces international relations to a personal beauty pageant. It's the kind of statement that makes you laugh, then cringe, then laugh again at the sheer audacity. Ah, the circus of politics.

Grok can’t capture the true essence of Althouse.

Duke Dan said...

The Althouse weave.

mindnumbrobot said...

Althouse Trump is even funnier than Trump Trump! And that's saying something.

It is interesting, however, how differently people can look in person. I recently took a business trip and met a young lady face-to-face for the first time. We had many Zoom meetings before then, and nothing about her had struck me in particular. But in person, she was an incredibly attractive woman! I mean, wowzer! Frankly, I didn't even recognize her at first glance. Funny how that can happen.

RideSpaceMountain said...

Bald is beautiful.

chuck said...

An Althouse classic, a glittering gem in the daily stream.

RCOCEAN II said...

Althouse should write for SNL, she's funnier. As for UK-USA relations, starmer and his labour buddies tried to help defeat Trump. Talk about "election interference". The Labour party has already made it clear they are 110 percent in favor of continuing the war in Ukraine, pushing climate change, and not spending more on NATO. Oh, and censoring the internet. So, hopefully we will NOT be getting on well with the Brits. At least not with Labour in charge.

The Vault Dweller said...

Trump can very complimentary when he is trying to schmooze someone. Does he like the Royal family? Maybe. But, I highly doubt he is in awe of them. Trump gives lots of praise of anyone, any group, or anything, when he wants to ingratiate himself.

RCOCEAN II said...

Scott adams said 25 percent of americans don't have a sense of humor. They literally don't understand jokes, they just pretend to. Throw in the large numbers who can't understand kidding, irony, satire, or deliberate hyperbole, and you got most of the Trump scolds. Trump is our funniest POTUS.

CJinPA said...

Love your Trump. How much to get you to record it? No voice, no wig, just a straight reading.

Lem Vibe Bandit said...

I guessed Trump.

doctrev said...

A dead gerbil would also be funnier than the current SNL writing staff.

Night Owl said...

Hilarious impression of Trump! It reminds me of the way they wrote the character of Steinbrenner on Seinfeld.

ron winkleheimer said...

"Trump can very complimentary when he is trying to schmooze someone."

I remember an early episode of _The Apprentice_ where one of the judges was an attractive woman who was an executive in the Trump Organization. Trump, on camera, told her she looked like Lady Di. You could tell she was loving it. I assumed that Trump was hitting on her.

ron winkleheimer said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Ann Althouse said...

"Grok can’t capture the true essence of Althouse."

Phew!

Bill Harshaw said...

Maybe he noticed he's about 3 inches shorter than a guy who is 6' 3"? He's shrinking away, something which comes for many of us oldsters, both body and brain shrinking until ultimately there's nothing there at all.

Kate said...

Sorry, nope. The hair stuff is great, but Bobby isn't interested in banning burgers and fries. The man cooked a turkey in tallow, for crying out loud. He may actually MFrenchFriesGA.

PM said...

Great stream of Althouseness.

Joe Bar said...

^This is why we come here.

NKP said...

OK, I'll give you Yul Brynner and Bobby McBride - maybe Michael Jordan for the sake of Diversity. After that, it's Sam Brinton and... BTW, does it still count as "bald" if a shiny dome is anchored by a big-ass beard?

Char Char Binks, Esq. said...

I wondered about the height difference, and thought William must be Barron Trump height. Oh well, everyone is getting older

Char Char Binks, Esq. said...

Grok < Alec Baldwin < Seth Meyers < Donald Trump < Ann Althouse, at being Trump

Char Char Binks, Esq. said...

Is Trump complimenting William’s looks an example of his womanliness?

traditionalguy said...

William is a strong man for a Royal. He’s surviving his father, his step-mother and his evil grandfather. I give his wife a lot of the credit. She’s a cute, loving, loyal and super intelligent lady. I call that my strong woman theory of history.

Jaq said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Jaq said...

Reminds me of a joke: "How did Bill Clinton say f*k you?... 'Nice tie.'"

rastajenk said...

Meade-Man had to have some input into that riff; didn't he?

Quaestor said...

How did they address one another? That's far more interesting than NYT's claims without evidence. Prince William could and rightly should have said, "Mister President..." True, Trump hasn't been inaugurated, but he's been entitled to that address since 2017, and he's effectively the only president we've got now that FJB has gone permanently bye-bye. But how does the soon-to-be Chief of State address an heir to monarchy? "Your Royal Highness"? That sounds subservient coming from the leader of a republic that broke its political bonds to the House of Hanover/Saxe-Coburg and Gotha/Windsor (different labels on the same bottle of vin de table) through warfare. Maybe Trump skipped that and went directly to "Sir..." That would get a British subject or an undistinguished American escorted from the Royal Presence, but not a President or President-elect. Perhaps they both used "Sir". Both are Heads of State in waiting, and in Realpolitik Trump speaks for vastly more power than William. I would have enjoyed listening in on the the protocol discussion that certainly preceded the meeting of the prince and the president.

Rabel said...

That was well done.

Rix said...

You should get AI to do this in Trump's voice.

TNT320 said...

Take a bow Ann!





Ralph L said...

They're related in the 19th century in at least five different ways, four of them on Philip's side, but William's height (and baldness) probably came from the Spencers, not Philip's Romanov grandmother. Wm's nose always makes me think he was dropped on his face as a baby.

Narr said...

Grand Duke Constantine, Tsar Nicholas II's brother, was about 6'6". I leave it to others to work out the genetic relationship(s).

FullMoon said...

Kate said...

Sorry, nope. The hair stuff is great, but Bobby isn't interested in banning burgers and fries. The man cooked a turkey in tallow, for crying out loud. He may actually MFrenchFriesGA.

n
Sure, but can he make a pecan pie crust from scratch?

Quaestor said...

SPAMBOT ate my baby!! (sez Quaestor doing Elaine Benes doing an outback Sheila.)

mccullough said...

Harry got the Hair

Steven Wilson said...

Speaking of meeting the Queen. The late comedian Alan King did a command performance for the royals in either the 60s or early 70s. He was briefed on the appropriate protocol for greeting her, what to say, and so on. When he got to her in the reception she asked as predicted "How do you do, Mr. King." And King, claiming it was an ad lib that just came to him at the moment, replied, "Fine, and how do you do Mrs. Queen." He said it cracked her up and she enjoyed being treated as a person and not as an institution.

Ralph L said...

At the Diana statue unveiling a couple of years ago, Harry wore elevator shoes to make up most of the 2 inch height difference with William. Not even the Daily Mail pointed it out. Trump's claimed 6'4" must have included his shoes and hair.

Ralph L said...

I'm sure Bobby can make it flakey.

M Jordan said...

Funniest take you’ve had, Ann. I actually, literally, LOLed.

Mikey NTH said...

Seems to me they're making the mistake of confusing Trump saying something nice about someone as meaning that he really likes that person and supports him. It costs nothing to say something nice when it might get you something in return. Yet they continue to fail understanding that Trump is a salesman and buttering up a potential customer is normal behavior.

Quaestor said...

Char Chat Binks, Esq. writes, "I wondered about the height difference, and thought William must be Barron Trump height."

Prince William has the advantage of being the least royal Royal since Henry VII. And of necessity. Eddie Eight proved beyond a shadow the line of Victoria and Albert was very nearly played out. Unfortunately, Queen Victoria cranked out so many squallers, five of them daughters, that she genetically affected every dynasty in Europe. With such luminaries as Kaiser William II and Princess Alix of Hess (the last Tsarina of the Russias) among her grandchildren, one can be forgiven to doubt the quality of some of those DNA strands, leaving Charles with few desirable wives from the usual German Protestant households. Thus we have the current heir -- half Windsor the other half Spencer/Marlborough -- aristos of another stripe entirely.

A few more outcrossings and the Royals will be more or less normal.

Mikey NTH said...

They aren't Hapsburgs yet. Heck, few royal lines went down that road.

boatbuilder said...

You have the Trump schtick down cold. Well done.

boatbuilder said...

AI can't do comedy. Althouse, on the other hand--damn!

John said...

Yes, very Trumpy!

Narr said...

There was a middling-aristocratic English family that took the surname Hapsburg, but it didn't get them far.

George VI's wife (LizII's ma) was not a German, nor of royal rank, so that line had already been crossed.

Hitler apparently made some remarks to the effect that Germany's grand aristocratic families would benefit from some cross-breeding with their stable-hands, and it's hard for me to disagree.

Narayanan said...

Hi ya pilgrim

Ralph L said...

Wilhelm II's senior grandson, Louis Ferdinand, largely disinherited his two eldest sons for marrying below their station, as family rules required. They lost in court after his death in '94, and the bulk of his money and titular status passed to a grandson. George V changed his family rules about marriage about the time he changed his family name. German princesses were Right Out.

Narr said...

American presidents-elect have been meeting British heirs to the throne for decades--I'm sure the protocols are clear.

Narr said...

That's an echo of the story that Thomas Berger tells in his book "Return of Little Big Man" about Buffalo Bill Cody meeting the Prince of Wales during a Wild West Show performance in London (from memory)__

"Glad to meet you, Mr. Cody."

"Likewise, Mr. Prince."