Donald Trump Says Wife Melania Hates His Mocking Impressions: 'You're the President of the United States, You Shouldn't Be Doing This'

Melania Trump apparently is not amused by President Donald Trump’s rally impressions, and she has told him they are beneath the dignity of the office.

Trump shared the first lady’s criticism on October 14 during a campaign rally in Bullhead City, Ariz., before disregarding her advice and continuing with the performance.

The 80-year-old president appeared at Laughlin/Bullhead International Airport as Republicans sought to strengthen their position before the midterm elections.

“My wife is going crazy at me,” Trump told the crowd while criticizing transgender women’s participation in women’s sports.

“She hates — she said, ‘You’re president of the United States, you shouldn’t be doing this,’” he continued.

Trump then demonstrated exactly what she meant, performing his impression of a transgender weightlifter and grunting from the stage.

The anecdote offered rallygoers a glimpse of Melania serving as an offstage critic of the unscripted routines that have become a regular feature of her husband’s speeches. Her objection did not persuade him to drop the act.

The rally later took a darker turn as Trump discussed sensitive government information reaching the media.

“In my opinion, leakers should be shot,” he said. “In the old days, we used to shoot leakers, you know, when they leak what time you’re going to attack a country.”

Trump said a planned raid on Iran had to be delayed after someone revealed its timing. He appeared to be referring to Operation Midnight Hammer, the June 2025 U.S. strikes on three Iranian nuclear sites during Iran’s 12-day war with Israel.

“Somebody leaked — some sleazebag,” Trump said. “They ought to go to jail and be shot. For the rest of their life, they should be in jail.”

The president claimed the leaker had disclosed when forces were leaving Missouri and when they would arrive, naming The New York Times and CNN while describing where the information appeared.

Trump then pointed toward the journalists covering the rally and said they were “almost as bad” as the people who disclosed government information.

“They leak false information,” he said. “That makes them a leaker, right?”

Trump’s position on leaks has shifted with political advantage. In 2010, he said WikiLeaks disclosures could warrant “the death penalty or something.”

Six years later, he celebrated the site’s publication of Democratic emails, telling supporters, “Boy, I love reading those WikiLeaks!”