Trump, 80, makes awkward on-air comment about Ainsley Earhardt
DIRECT ANSWER: President Donald Trump, 80, derailed a Monday Fox & Friends phone-in on July 13 by commenting on co-host Ainsley Earhardt's love life instead of answering Lawrence Jones's question about the two-year anniversary of the Butler assassination attempt. Trump joked that Earhardt seemed attracted to her fiancé Sean Hannity and linked the tangent to presidential danger statistics, leaving hosts visibly uncomfortable.
The bizarre detour came during a call meant to cover Senator Lindsey Graham's death and the war in Iran. Yet even when asked about a somber anniversary, the president pivoted to gossip about a colleague sitting beside him on the set.
Key Takeaways
- Trump, 80, sidetracked a Butler assassination anniversary question to discuss Ainsley Earhardt's engagement to Sean Hannity.
- He quipped that Earhardt seemed attracted to Hannity and claimed he once joked he would not have run for president if she had warned him how dangerous the job is.
- Both The Daily Beast and AlterNet described the rant as bizarre and incoherent.
- Earhardt and Hannity have been together since 2019 and announced their engagement in December 2024.
- It was not Trump's first on-air tangent about the Fox News couple; he made similar remarks in August 2025.
What Happened During the Fox & Friends Call?
Trump called into Fox & Friends on Monday morning, July 13, 2026, for what was billed as a wide-ranging interview. Topics on the agenda included the death of Senator Lindsey Graham and developments in the war with Iran.
Host Lawrence Jones then asked Trump about something the president rarely discusses: himself. Specifically, Jones noted that the day marked two years since the assassination attempt in Butler, Pennsylvania, and asked how Trump was feeling given ongoing threats, including from Iran.
Instead of answering directly, Trump launched into a personal anecdote about Ainsley Earhardt. The moment quickly spread across social media and added to a growing catalogue of bizarre political moments drawing viral attention online.
What Did Trump Say About Ainsley Earhardt and Sean Hannity?
Trump opened by reminding viewers of his long connection to Earhardt through Hannity. "Well, let's put it this way. So I've known Ainsley longer than the two of you. I've known her through a great gentleman, a very handsome man named Sean Hannity," he said.
He then added, "She seemed to be attracted to him for whatever the hell reason, right?" Earhardt, who co-hosts the morning show, sat beside Lawrence Jones as the president spoke about her relationship on live television.
Trump said he once told Earhardt that being president is a dangerous profession. He claimed he joked, "Why didn't you tell me that, Ainsley? I wouldn't have run." He preemptively criticized the press, saying, "You can never be sarcastic when you're dealing with the fake news."
Why Did the Moment Raise Eyebrows?
Observers flagged the tangent because Jones had asked about a serious anniversary, not the hosts' personal lives. The Daily Beast called Trump's answer "bizarre," while AlterNet described it as an "incoherent rant" that showed his difficulty staying focused on a single subject.
Trump eventually returned to presidential safety, citing statistics he claimed showed 5.2% of presidents are killed and 8.5% are shot at or shot. He compared the danger to race car driving and bull riding before the conversation moved on.
AlterNet noted the gaffe followed other recent missteps, including referring to Iran as "the Islamic Republic of Japan" and mistaking Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky for Vladimir Putin at a NATO summit. Critics again questioned whether the 80-year-old president can stay on message during high-stakes interviews.
Has Trump Talked About Their Relationship Before?
This was not the first time Trump discussed Earhardt and Hannity on Fox & Friends. The Daily Beast reported that in August 2025, he derailed a discussion about ending the Russia-Ukraine war to praise his Washington, D.C. crime crackdown and the couple's date nights.
On that occasion, Trump said he did not want to see them "get mugged" when dining out in the capital. Earhardt and Hannity announced their engagement in December 2024 after dating for several years.