World leaders usually arrive at high-stakes summits armed with policy papers, carefully rehearsed talking points, and diplomatic restraint.
But with President Donald Trump, tension often fills the room. Sometimes, an unexpected joke does more to ease it than another round of negotiations.
One exchange at a NATO gathering did exactly that, though the punchline came at someone else’s expense.
Slovenian Prime Minister Janez Janša reportedly used a joke about Melania Trump to lighten the mood between President Donald Trump and NATO allies.
According to a new report from The Wall Street Journal, Trump smiled at the remark.
At a NATO summit in The Hague, Netherlands, in June 2025, member nations reached a major agreement. Except for Spain, they pledged to raise defense spending to 5 percent of GDP by 2035, a target Trump had pushed for years.
Janša congratulated Trump on persuading the small Central European nation to fall in line before joking, “If anybody knew how stubborn Slovenians could be, it was the husband of Melania Trump.”
Many online readers had mixed reactions to the recently resurfaced claim, wondering if Trump understood the remark.
One reader asked, “Did he even understand it or just laugh on cue??”
“They aren’t handling him, they are making fun of him,” said one Facebook user, while another added, “They all got the memo.”
Anticipating Trump will be mad, two people said, “I say let him blow a gasket!” and “Make him mad, he might walk out.”
Another noted, “Yep! Just like they laughed when he came in and said: “I’M THE BOSS.” Stroking his fragile ego.”
Trump reportedly took the wisecrack in stride. He has to. He has been slick-talking about and acting inappropriately with other men’s wives for years.
The remark also pointed back to Trump’s headline-making entrance last month. The president arrived late to a working session already in progress at the G7 summit in Evian-les-Bains, France.
As he entered the room, he turned to the other world leaders and declared, “I’m the boss,” drawing laughter before shaking hands with French President Emmanuel Macron and taking his seat.
🔴 VIDÉO G7 – Donald Trump est arrivé à la table du G7 en disant "I'm the BOSS". pic.twitter.com/HmqrP8r54Q
— Jon De Lorraine (@jon_delorraine) June 17, 2026
In another clip from the G7 summit, Trump was seen standing with other leaders on a platform for the group photo.
Shortly after he was squared in position, he appeared to knock French first lady Brigitte Macron off balance as she nearly fell back. In the past, he and her husband, Emmanuel, had exchanged words over her honor.
The U.S. president claimed that Macron’s wife “treats him extremely badly” and joked that the French president was “still recovering from the right to the jaw.”
Somehow, Bill Clinton’s wife, Hillary Clinton, also keeps appearing in Trump’s speeches.
During a December rally in Rocky Mount, North Carolina, he acknowledged that his former presidential opponent was intelligent before quickly pivoting to a familiar insult.
“No, Hillary is smart,” Trump told the crowd. Then he added, “She’s nasty. Ohh, I wouldn’t want to go home to her—she was nasty. Remember, she was a nasty person. I was going to use the B word, and I said ‘no.’ My wife would not be happy.”
He continued, “My wife always says, ‘Please, please don’t use foul language.'”
But Janša, with his joke about Melania, was far from the only leader trying to keep Trump happy.
NATO leaders reportedly flattered Trump and copied his all-caps texting style. Former Bulgarian Prime Minister Rosen Zhelyazkov said the humor hid real anxiety over Trump’s threats toward NATO, tariffs, and Greenland.
That may explain Trump’s smile.
First lady Melania has long been known for appearing less than affectionate toward her husband in public. Cameras have frequently caught her giving him icy looks or swatting away his hand when he reaches for hers.
Reports have also claimed the two do not live together full-time in the White House.
Janša’s remark was meant to break the ice, but for the thrice-married president, the joke may have landed because it echoed a familiar public narrative.
