Legendary actress Candice Bergen remembers her disastrous date with Donald Trump, describing him as a handsome fella but a bit of a pompous show-off — a description many feel also fits his political career and ambitions.
The shocking tale has recently resurfaced online, featuring a clip of Bergen recounting the awkward encounter from her earlier days — a memory she clearly hasn’t let fade. But it wasn’t just her story that drew attention — her wardrobe did, too.
In a resurfaced clip from her 2017 appearance on “Watch What Happens Live” with Andy Cohen, during Trump’s first administration, the “Book Club” star sat alongside Reese Witherspoon and casually recounted the details of her date with the future president.
Bergen made a bold statement by wearing a “Free Melania” sweater that quickly became as talked about as her hilarious retelling.
During the interview, Cohen walked Bergen through every detail of the date, which happened during their time at the University of Pennsylvania.
“He picked you up,” Cohen prompted.
Bergen responded, “He was wearing a three-piece burgundy suit and burgundy patent leather loafers, in a burgundy limousine — all color coordinated.”
When Cohen asked, “Was there chemistry on the date?” Bergen’s answer was clear: “No, I was home very early.” Cohen pressed further: “Was there a kiss?” Bergen confirmed, “No physical contact whatsoever.”
Then came the question everyone wanted answered.
“Though there was no physical contact, did you find him to be alluring in any way? Did you think he was douchey? Or what was your opinion of him?” Cohen asked.
Bergen’s response struck a balance between honest and cutting: “At that point, he was handsome — he was a good-looking guy. Yeah. And a douche.” Cohen couldn’t resist adding his own observation: “Listen, she wears this ‘Free Melania’ sweater with some authority here.”
After transferring from Fordham University, Trump attended the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania until his graduation in May 1968. During that time, his former love interest Bergen was expelled from the University of Pennsylvania during her sophomore year. Bergen returned in 1992 to receive an honorary degree.
When an Instagram page dubbed Celebs Against Trump posted the clip from her sit-down on its page, the comments section erupted with opinions about Trump’s appearance.
Multiple commentators insisted, “He has NEVER been good looking!!!” challenging Bergen’s description entirely.
Another commenter praised the actress’s instincts: “Now that’s a nightmare she avoided! She was too good for him and thank God she knew it.”
But the conversation quickly shifted from Trump’s looks to whether Melania actually wants freedom from her marriage.
“Melania is as bad as he is,” one commenter declared, taking a harsher view.
Another person agreed, writing, “Melania doesn’t need to be freed. She’s complicit.”
However, not everyone saw it that way, with one user suggesting, “And Melania would willingly be deported if she could get away from him,” playing up the claims that she actually hates the president as much as his critics.
The mixed reactions showed just how divided people remain about the first lady’s agency in her situation. One frustrated commenter summed up their feelings: “Somebody free us from Trump before he dates any other woman but his wife.”
This wasn’t Bergen’s first time discussing the infamous evening.
She told People magazine that the 1965 encounter, which happened when both were 18, ended quickly.
“I was 18, the first year of college,” Bergen explained. “I was home by 9. I mean, it was really a dud.” Over five decades later, she’s even started questioning her own vivid memories of that burgundy ensemble, joking that while the description seems almost too perfect, knowing Trump, it very well could have been accurate.
Bergen shared with Harry Connick Jr. in September 2017 that she’d only accepted because she was bored after Trump called her dorm room.
“I was in college, and it’s where he was going to be going to college. It was like a blind date,” Bergen admitted on Connick Jr.’s talk show. “He called me in the dorm, and I was bored.”
Bergen isn’t alone in having Trump stories to tell.
Former Real Housewives of Atlanta star Claudia Jordan revealed that Trump attempted to kiss her before her ”Apprentice” appearance and allegedly told her she should not date Black men “because they don’t have money,” which she challenged.
Salma Hayek shared that Trump asked her out in front of her boyfriend, befriending him first before calling her directly and dismissing him as not “good enough” when she refused. Emma Thompson found Trump’s timing particularly troubling when he called, asking her out the same day her divorce was finalized.
Then there’s Marla Maples, who became his second wife after an affair that ended his marriage to Ivana, including the infamous Aspen moment when Maples reportedly approached Ivana asking, “I love your husband. Do you?”
The resurfaced interview continues to spark debate, with Bergen’s bold “Free Melania” sweater and sharp recollections reigniting talk over whether Melania Trump needs saving or is perfectly content as Mrs. Trump.
