President Trump reads a book during fun sit-down with Second Lady Usha Vance
To celebrate the Fourth of July, President Trump sat down with Second Lady Usha Vance to read a children’s book, chat about history, and offer comments about the future of America upon this 250th anniversary weekend for the nation.
by Summer Lane | July 3, 2026
President Donald Trump sat down recently for a special segment with America’s Second Lady, Usha Vance, where he touched on several subjects and even read a children’s book.
“Do you have any time to read for fun these days?” Mrs. Vance asked on the latest episode of her podcast series, “Storytime with the Second Lady.”
“So, I end up reading mostly newspapers,” the president said. “I usually read stories about myself!”
During the episode, the president read a book called Presidents Play! The book was published by the White House Historical Association and written by Jonathan Pliska.
The president gave his reading a touch of Trumpian flair, remarking on different points of the book with some humorous jabs at other presidents, like former President Barack Obama.
“I don’t know if he was a good basketball player; I tend to doubt it,” President Trump cracked at one point in the book about Obama playing basketball at the White House.
President Trump also made a joke about former President William Taft. “He was a large man – very large! And he loved baseball; he’d go to baseball games,” Trump said. “[He] loved the hot dogs at the baseball games…I have to be careful because I don’t want to supersede his record, and a thing like that would be possible, if I allowed it to happen. For all you out there watching, keep yourself in good shape, right?”
President Trump also had a message to share with America’s children.
“The Fourth of July’s a fantastic day, it’s a day of celebration, it’s a very important day for this country and the life of the country,” he said. “…What we really are doing is celebrating America. We love our children. They are our most important people when you think about it.”
