President Donald Trump recently made an unusual claim at a press conference, saying a “very powerful” man wanted to kiss him. The story came up while Trump was lashing out at the Supreme Court, calling the justices a “disgrace to our nation” and “lap dogs,” after they struck down his tariff policies.
According to The Daily Beast, while venting about the ruling, Trump suddenly shifted to an unrelated story about Andrew Seville, the president of Kusa Steel in Rome, Georgia. Trump claimed Seville expressed a desire to kiss him during a visit to the factory.
“We were in Georgia, and I said to the owner, I made a speech at a factory that makes steel products, and I said, ‘How are you, nice to meet you, how’s business?'” Trump recalled. He then claimed Seville responded with, “President, I’d love to kiss you.”
Trump’s unusual kissing anecdote points to a pattern of strange comments in recent days
Trump told the press, “This is a very powerful man. I don’t want to be kissed by that man.” He added that Seville is “a very powerful, strong man” who has been in the steel business for many years. He then quoted Seville again, saying, “Sir, I want to kiss you so badly.’ And I said, ‘No thank you.'” The Supreme Court’s decision to strike down Trump’s tariff policies was clearly the trigger for the press conference outburst.
According to Trump, Seville’s unusual expression of gratitude came because Trump had helped the factory boost production from just one hour a day to nearly 24 hours a day. When asked about the comments, White House spokesperson Davis Ingle said that “it’s no secret that President Trump is the most loved and admired figure in American politics, and it should not come as a surprise that people want to show their appreciation for him.”
This was not the first time Trump shared this story. He told a similar version the day before to a crowd at the same Georgia factory. On that occasion, Trump quoted Seville saying, “President, if I didn’t have all these cameras running, I would grab you and start kissing you violently.”
Earlier that same Thursday, Trump also paused his “Board of Peace” meeting to comment on Paraguayan President Santiago Peña’s appearance. This meeting came amid broader foreign policy developments, including reports on Trump’s ongoing Iran nuclear negotiations.
As he welcomed the 47-year-old leader, Trump said, “It’s always nice to be young and handsome,” before quickly adding, “It doesn’t mean we have to like you. I don’t like young, handsome men. Women, I like. Men, I don’t have any interest.”
Published: Feb 21, 2026 04:15 pm