Trump invites former presidents: President Donald Trump used a recent episode of the “Storytime with the Second Lady” podcast to offer a jocular, hypothetical line: “Maybe I should invite Barack Hussein Obama, Joe Biden, with the Bushes — or Bush. Maybe I should invite some of those people to watch a football game together.” The remark was framed on-air as hypothetical and lighthearted during his narration of the children’s book Presidents Play!, and he added, “The press would go wild.”
Trump invites former presidents
The lede remark came while Trump narrated pages from Presidents Play!, a children’s book published through the White House Historical Association that walks young readers through moments in presidential life. On the “Storytime with the Second Lady” podcast, hosted by Second Lady Usha Vance, Trump mixed reading with informal asides and floated the idea of inviting his predecessors to the White House to watch a football game. He described the scene as something that would make headlines, but did not present it as a scheduled or formal invitation.
Highlights from the podcast appearance
On the episode, Trump read and riffed on several illustrations and historical anecdotes from Presidents Play!. He paused to comment on former presidents’ personal habits and White House features. For example, he described William Howard Taft as “a large man” who enjoyed attending baseball games and joked about the former president’s size in a conversational tone. About Bill Clinton, Trump noted a jogging track built at the White House during Clinton’s tenure and said he had only recently become aware of it. Those remarks were presented as informal commentary rather than a factual inventory of White House renovations.
Podcast host Usha Vance responded with good-natured banter; the episode blended children’s storytelling with off-the-cuff presidential anecdotes. The conversation’s format — a casual podcast reading — underscores that the reunion line was an anecdotal aside rather than a White House schedule item.
Context and recent presidential gatherings
The on-air suggestion arrives after a recent gathering of living presidents at the opening of the Obama Presidential Center, an event covered in national reporting. Fox News reported that several living presidents attended the Obama Presidential Center opening and that Trump was not among those invited. That public moment, in which multiple former presidents appeared together, provides context for why a reunion joke from Trump gained attention; it underscored recent occasions when presidential predecessors have gathered in public without his participation.
Past gatherings of presidents often follow longstanding protocol and careful planning; invitations to such events typically take account of logistics, scheduling, and the wishes of each former president. The podcast remark did not include details about outreach or scheduling, and Trump did not indicate that contacts had been made or formal invitations sent.
What this proposal means
Framed on the podcast as hypothetical, the idea functions as a light anecdote rather than a policy announcement. If pursued, a real invitation to multiple former presidents would involve coordination among offices, security arrangements, and personal availability — practical considerations that the podcast exchange did not address. Trump’s own phrasing — calling the reunion something that would make headlines and saying, “The press would go wild” — signals that he intended the line as a memorable aside.
The possible reactions to such a reunion range from warm public interest in a high-profile bipartisan moment to logistical and protocol questions from officials and the press. Former presidents routinely make individual public appearances and sometimes join one another for ceremonial events; whether they would accept an invitation to a casual White House football watch would depend on their schedules and priorities. No evidence was provided on the podcast that any former president had been contacted or had agreed to such an event.
Frequently asked questions
Will former presidents attend the game?
There is no public evidence that any former president has been invited or has agreed to attend. The line was offered on a podcast as a hypothetical and anecdotal remark.
Is this an official White House invitation?
No. The comment appeared during an informal podcast reading and was not presented as a formal White House event or confirmed invitation.
Was Trump at the Obama Presidential Center opening?
Reporting indicates that other living presidents attended the Obama Presidential Center opening and that Trump was not invited to that event, per press coverage.
Source attribution
Podcast appearance and quoted lines: Fox News coverage of the “Storytime with the Second Lady” episode and Trump’s remarks — Fox News.
Book reference (Presidents Play!): White House Historical Association (publisher of the Presidents Play! book used in the reading).
Context on the Obama Presidential Center opening and which former presidents attended: referenced in the Fox News report linked above.
Note: The idea was presented on-air as hypothetical and not a confirmed plan.
