“Beautiful” is one of President Trump’s favorite words. He’s used it at least 1,500 times on Twitter and in speeches since he began running for office, according to the database at Factba.se. He uses it indiscriminately, the way a teenager might use “cool.”
At times, though, it’s awkward.
On Thursday, Trump met with Emmanuel Macron, the president of France, and his wife Brigitte. As they greeted one another, cameras picked up Trump’s praise for France’s first lady.
That “you’re in great shape” attracted some negative media attention, as you might expect. But the “beautiful” was almost predictable. After all, in the last month alone, Macron is the third wife of a president to earn that descriptor, after the first lady of South Korea and Trump’s own wife.
Over that period, Trump has described 35 different things as beautiful, according to Factba.se’s data and news reports from the day. They range from soldiers killed in combat to foreign countries to two different three-word phrases to abstract concepts.
Our index of the past month, below. Were any of the beneficiaries of Trump’s compliment inclined to bask in it, this list might give them pause.
Were they so inclined.
June 13, Pewaukee, Wis. A speaker system.
This is quite a place — with a beautiful speaker system, I will tell you.
June 15, White House. The United States.
In these difficult hours, it’s more important than ever to help each other, care for each other, and remind each other that we are all united by our love of our great and beautiful country.
June 16, Miami The Cuban people.
Over the years, a special sympathy has grown between this land of the free, and the beautiful people of that island, so close to our shores and so deeply woven into the history of our region.
June 21, Cedar Rapids, Iowa. The red on electoral maps.
And those maps, those electoral maps, they were all red. Beautiful red. Beautiful.
June 21, Cedar Rapids. The lives lost in Afghanistan.
The lives, the lives, thousands and thousands and thousands of lives. $6 trillion and thousands of young, beautiful lives.
June 21, Cedar Rapids. Farming.
Farming — which is something that is very beautiful to me. I’m not a farmer, but I’d be very happy to be one. It’s a very beautiful world to me.
June 21, Cedar Rapids. Clean water.
No longer will the EPA be telling you how to run your business or do your job or live your life. Instead, it will focus on its true mission, clean air and clean, beautiful, crystal water. Nice, beautiful, clean water.
June 21, Cedar Rapids. Television studios.
But they had these beautiful studios. And if Karen Handel had lost, they would’ve blamed it on me, which is fine.
June 21, Cedar Rapids. Otto Warmbier.
But you look at North Korea, what’s going — look at Otto, beautiful Otto. Went over there a healthy, wonderful boy and you see how he came back. You see how he came back.
June 21, Cedar Rapids. America’s airports in the past.
You know, we used to be the leader in airports. We had the most beautiful airports.
June 21, Cedar Rapids. The solar panels on the border wall.
Makes sense. Let’s see. We’re working it out. We’ll see. Solar wall, panels, beautiful.
June 22, White House. Rep. Steve Scalise’s children.
We are so touched that joining us here this evening are Steve and Jennifer’s children, Harrison and Madison. Beautiful children.
June 23, White House. The World War II memorial on the Mall.
Earl began asking his patients if they planned to visit the new World War II Memorial — which is beautiful — right here in Washington, D.C.
June 23, White House. Honor flights.
That is how the first Honor Flight was born. Honor Flight — a very beautiful thing.
June 26, White House. The words “We the people.”
Not many people know it, but both American and the Indian constitutions begin with the same three very beautiful words: We the people.
June 29, Department of Energy. Clean coal.
We have nearly 100 years’ worth of natural gas and more than 250 years’ worth of clean, beautiful coal.
June 29, Department of Energy. The myth of clean energy.
But we now know that was all a big, beautiful myth. It was fake.
June 29, White House. Kim Jung-sook, wife of the president of South Korea.
It’s a great honor to have you at the White House and your very beautiful and lovely wife.
June 30, D.C. The unknown.
It is America’s destiny to be at the forefront of humanity’s eternal quest for knowledge and to be the leader amongst nations on our adventure into the great unknown. And I could say the great and very beautiful unknown. Nothing more beautiful.
June 30, D.C. A ceremony commemorating the Korean War.
This morning, President Moon and Vice President Pence laid a wreath at the Korean War Veterans Memorial to commemorate the 67th anniversary of the Korean War. A beautiful ceremony.
June 30, D.C. Lives of murder victims.
These beautiful American lives were stolen because our government refused to do its job.
July 1, D.C. The Kennedy Center.
So on behalf of this very large group, in this beautiful building, Senior Master Sgt. Miller, Happy Birthday.
July 1, D.C. Choral music.
[To] every musician and member of the choir who has performed with such incredible grace and skill — and I heard them backstage, I said let me out there, that is the most beautiful music.
July 4, Arlington, Va. The Tomb of the Unknowns.
Representing the United States Army is Captain Jean Gwon. She served 14 years, and today she is Company Commander in support of Old Guard, where she oversees the 120 soldiers who protect the Tomb of the Unknowns. It’s beautiful.
July 6, Warsaw. The sights in Poland.
It’s a spectacular place. Some of the most beautiful sights that we just saw coming over.
July 6, Warsaw. Melania Trump.
The United States has many great diplomats, but there is truly no better ambassador for our country than our beautiful first lady, Melania.
July 6, Warsaw. A room.
This is a beautiful room, I must say. I love beautiful rooms and this is one of them.
July 6, Warsaw. The press he’d like to see.
And what we want to see in the United States is honest — beautiful, free but honest press. We want to see fair press.
July 6, Warsaw. Krasiski Square.
This is my first visit to Central Europe as president, and I am thrilled that it could be right here at this magnificent, beautiful piece of land. It is beautiful.
July 7, Hamburg. The words “Made in America”.
For more than two centuries, those three beautiful words have been the world standard for quality, craftsmanship and excellence, and they still are today.
July 8, Twitter. The G-20 summit.
The #G20Summit was a wonderful success and carried out beautifully by Chancellor Angela Merkel. Thank you!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 8, 2017
July 10, Twitter. A new health-care bill.
I cannot imagine that Congress would dare to leave Washington without a beautiful new HealthCare bill fully approved and ready to go!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 10, 2017
July 13, Paris. Brigitte Macron, wife of the president of France.
You know, you’re in such great shape. Beautiful.
July 13, Paris. Paris.
I think this is one of the great cities, one of the most beautiful cities in the world.
July 13, Paris. Another room.
Nice room. Isn’t that a beautiful room?
