Awkward Moment Between Trump and King of Netherlands Caught on Camera
President Donald Trump's awkward encounter with the King of Netherlands was caught on camera during the Dutch royals' visit to the White House.
King Willem-Alexander and Queen Maxima were in Washington, D.C., Monday, April 13 as part of a working visit to the U.S. The president and first lady Melania Trump hosted the royal couple at the White House for dinner that evening.
The dinner capped off a day in which the Dutch king and queen had visited Philadelphia, touring Independence Hall and getting a closer look at the Liberty Bell, in an effort to mark the yearlong American 250 celebrations.
However, it was Trump's awkward initial encounter with King Willem-Alexander that proved to be one of the major talking points, with several users on social media pointing out one noticeable detail from the meeting: the president’s height.
The White House posted a video to X showing the president and first lady greeting the royal couple outside the White House. It has been watched nearly 900,000 times already. Newsweek has contacted the White House for comment.
Why It Matters
Trump has always been an avid user of social media, but his activities have come under increasing scrutiny in recent days following his online spat with the Pope and his decision to post and then delete an AI image that appeared to depict the president as Jesus.
A photo op with a DoorDash driver, intended to highlight a positive tax policy on tips, drew a similarly negative response. Now, videos and photos from Trump's evening with the Dutch royal couple are once again garnering attention for unwanted reasons. With Trump's rating among Americans hovering close to an all-time low, negative press of any kind is the last thing he needs.
What To Know
The two-minute-and-31-second video posted to social media captures Trump's awkward first encounter with King Willem-Alexander in full. Though the pair greet each other warmly and happily engage in chit-chat upon the royal couple's arrival, things take an awkward turn when it comes time for the foursome to pose for photos.
King Willem-Alexander appears confused as to where he is supposed to stand for the picture. Initially, he and Queen Maxima try to move off to stand beside Melania and as far away from Trump as possible. However, someone from the Trump administration quickly intervenes, directing them to stand alongside Trump, in a move that puts the president front and center.
As the cameras begin to snap. King Willem-Alexander is seen mentioning Rob Jetten, the prime minister of Netherlands, who is also there, but Trump appears nonplussed. The king is then seen trying to convey an important message to the president. Though he is not entirely audible on the video, the Dutch royal does appear to say the word “friends.” Trump, however, does not appear to be listening or was not interested in what was being said, having been distracted by events around him.
The other major talking point from the encounter centers on Trump's height.
President Donald Trump’s Height
Trump has previously claimed to be 6 feet, 3 inches tall. However, throughout his two terms in office, there has been speculation that this may be an exaggeration. Those claims were finally put to the test during the visit of the Dutch royals. King Willem-Alexander is 6 feet, 3 inches tall, so logic dictates that the two world leaders would stand shoulder-to-shoulder in any photos taken.
Trump came up a little short in the pictures taken that day, though, something that was not lost on those following along with events on X.
One user, posting as @RobinJusticeX, commented: “The Queen of the Netherlands is 5’10 her and Trump are exactly the same height. Remember Trump claims he’s 6’3.”
Another user @StefanPors commented: “So…Donald Trump is apparently 1.91 (or 6’3″). And Willem Alexander, which is not really tall for a Dutchman, 1.83 (5’11”). And yet, and yet, well, see for yourself. Someone’s lying…”
This isn't the first time Trump's height has been called into question. The president previously claimed to be 6 feet, 3 inches tall, until Politico uncovered his driving license, which listed his official height as an entire inch shorter.
Newsweek's reporters and editors used Martyn, our Al assistant, to help produce this story. Learn more about Martyn.
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This story was originally published April 15, 2026 at 7:17 AM.