NEED TO KNOW
- Trump applauded Zelensky’s black suit during Oval Office meeting and suggested attire plays “a huge role in peace.”
- Zelensky appeared irritated, reminding reporters that “clothes do not stop missile strikes.”
- Trump later floated “formal-wear summits” as a new diplomatic strategy.
During Monday’s Oval Office meeting, President Donald Trump paused serious discussions about the war in Ukraine to compliment Volodymyr Zelensky’s black suit, calling it “very classy, maybe even perfect.” According to reporters in the room, Trump spent nearly two minutes admiring the outfit before addressing a single foreign policy issue.
“This is the kind of look that says peace,” Trump told Zelensky. “Honestly, if you wore this six months ago, we might already have a deal. The olive green thing was a little aggressive. A little too ‘Call of Duty.’ But this? This is nice.”
Zelensky, visibly annoyed, replied, “I was wearing a uniform because my country is under attack.” Trump nodded and said, “Right, but you’ve got to meet people halfway. Putin respects a good suit. Everybody knows that.”
White House aides later confirmed that the new outfit had been discussed in advance with Ukrainian officials. One staffer admitted, “He went with black because that’s the safest option. We wanted to avoid anything that might be interpreted as combat chic.”
At one point, Trump turned to a Real America’s Voice reporter and said, “Look at this man. Very sharp. Probably the best suit in the room. That’s how peace happens.” Zelensky stared blankly and replied, “Missiles do not care about lapels.”
After the meeting, Trump floated a new idea for “formal-wear summits,” explaining that “leaders make better decisions when they look fantastic.” He also suggested sending Zelensky a red, white, and blue tie “just to help keep him in a peaceful mindset.”
If we could just get him in a tux, I’m pretty sure this whole thing is over tomorrow
Donald Trump, President of the United States
