Donald Trump said he is reluctant to wear a bulletproof vest, saying it could make him look heavier.
Donald Trump is pushing back on the idea of wearing a bulletproof vest, not on safety grounds but because he worries it will affect how he looks.
Speaking to reporters, the US president said he does not want to end up looking “20 pounds heavier,” after being asked whether discussions had taken place about him wearing protective body armor.
The remarks came after Misryoum reported that Trump was quickly moved away from a dinner amid a separate shooting incident. US media said the vest option was being considered following the most recent alleged attempt on his life at a Washington gala over the weekend.
Meanwhile, Misryoum noted that a man has been charged over an attempt to assassinate Trump at the White House Correspondents’ Association Dinner at the Washington Hilton hotel. Secret Service agents reportedly stopped the suspect before he could reach the ballroom.
This is less about the mechanics of protection and more about how risk management collides with personal image. In politics, even security discussions can turn into messages voters interpret as priorities.
Officials have described the weekend incident as the third alleged attempt on Trump’s life within two years. The most serious, according to previously reported details, was in 2024 when he was wounded in the ear during an election rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, and one attendee was killed.
Misryoum also pointed to the president’s long history of sensitivity about appearance, including public comments that suggest he is closely attentive to how he presents himself in public.
In the background, Trump’s weight has periodically drawn attention. He has been described as slimmer in his second term, and records of his last full annual medical in April 2025 cited him at 224 pounds, down from 243 pounds in 2019.
Ultimately, Misryoum suggests, the episode highlights how even the most security-sensitive decisions can be shaped by personal concerns, and how those concerns then resonate far beyond the moment.