‘We fell in love’: Trump is butt of Pride Month jokes after gushing about authoritarian world leader

President Donald Trump found himself at the center of a wave of social media jokes during Pride Month after declaring he “fell in love” with Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi. The comments came during the G7 Summit in France, where Trump heaped praise on the authoritarian world leader while recounting their initial meeting.

Chemistry and Campaign History

Trump described his first interaction with el-Sissi, which occurred in a hotel during the 2016 campaign. "He’s a friend of mine. From Day 1, you know, I met him early in the [2016] campaign when Crooked Hillary [Clinton] and I were running against each other," Trump remarked. He claimed that the Egyptian leader had no interest in meeting Clinton, stating, "He said, 'you’re going to win. I don’t want to meet her.'"

The President noted that while he eventually allowed the meeting because el-Sissi is "a gentleman," the connection between the two men was immediate. "We fell in love, deeply in love," Trump told the crowd to laughter. He added, "We had great chemistry and I stayed twice as long as I was supposed to."

Context and Reaction

The praise for el-Sissi arrives at a time when the Egyptian leader faces significant scrutiny. According to the Associated Press, el-Sissi has ruled Egypt for 12 years, during which thousands of critics, secular activists, and opposition figures have been silenced or jailed.

The unconventional description of the diplomatic relationship sparked immediate mockery online. Journalist Matt Mitovich posted on X, "Happy Pride, Donald!" while user @BamaJayHayes added, "Once again: Happy Pride Month to @realDonaldTrump."

Other observers leaned into the humor, with Huffington Post White House correspondent S.V. Date joking, "Kim Jong Un sees this, he will fly into a jealous rage." Meanwhile, journalist Juliet Jeske asked, "Is Trump coming out?"

The Associated Press contributed to this report for 205focus.com.