At the G20 summit, President Trump surprised Argentinian President Mauricio Macri when, during their introductory remarks, Trump removed his translation earpiece and thanked his fellow national leader.
Trump tosses earpiece when speaking to Argentinian leader
President Trump is in Argentina participating in the G20 summit, where leaders from the top industrial nations come together to hobnob and discuss coordinated economic policy.
Trump greeted Macri in front of reporters, and while his Argentinian equivalent was offering perfunctory greetings, Trump did something totally unexpected.
The Daily Mail reports:
As the South American president shared kind greetings in Spanish, Trump tossed his his translation earpiece to the ground telling Macri ‘I think I understood you better in your language than I did on this. But that’s okay’.
Just moments prior Trump looked flustered with the translation as he pressed the machine into his ear with a distracted and stern face, slightly nodding as a smiling Macri showered him with praise.
You can watch the incredible moment below:
What a funny moment! There’s no record that Trump is fluent in Spanish, but he must know enough of the language to have understood Macri. Plus, kindness is a universal language.
Trump’s gracious nature
There’s a perception out there shaped by the media that Trump is a boorish animal when it comes to interacting with others. Of course, nothing could be further from the truth. Trump is and always has been an entertainer. He understands human interaction because he’s traded in it, whether as a reality-TV host or in crafting and executing business deals.
Trump’s gracious, off-the-cuff response to what appears to have been a faulty earpiece is – pardon the business jargon – totally on brand.
The President gets along with leaders in person, even when he vehemently disagrees with them. Just take a look at his interactions with French president Macron:
The danger from Central and South America
Many didn’t expect such a nice response from Trump either because of his perceived antagonistic relationship with the countries south of our border.
Currently, a migrant caravan teeming with gang elements and infectious disease is attempting to break into our country. (RELATED: Report: Caravan Migrants Carrying Communicable Diseases.) Many of the migrants are from Spanish-speaking countries.
The media likes to draw a tenuous connection between Trump’s strong defense of borders to his hatred of Spanish speakers. But it’s always been clear that Trump holds no animus against those of Hispanic descent or even countries in South and Central America. He objects to illegal immigration. That’s it.
Trump behavior with the Argentinian president was just another instance of Trump being the everyday warm and gracious person he always is. Don’t expect the media to cover it that way, however.
