Trump on Reading the Constitution: “It’s Like a Foreign Language”

President Donald Trump had difficulty reading a section of the U.S. Constitution and even compared it to another language, according to the new book A Very Stable Genius. In an extract published in Vanity Fair, the authors claim that Trump blamed others for his inability to read part of the document out loud.

Trump was being filmed for a documentary by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s daughter, Alexandra Pelosi. In the film, all the living current and former presidents and vice presidents would read parts of the Constitution and then their sections would be cut together.

Trump chose to read the start of Article II, which outlines how the president is elected and his powers. Trump reportedly struggled to do so.

This is meta: “But the president stumbled [reading the Constitution], trying to get out the words…The cameraman tried to calm Trump, telling him it was no big deal, to take a moment…Trump tried again, but again remarked, “It’s like a foreign language” https://t.co/3Ewlku9EFN

— Neal Katyal (@neal_katyal) January 20, 2020

“It’s very hard to do because of the language here,” Trump told the documentary crew. “It’s like a different language, right?”

While Trump was apparently frustrated, the cameraman tried to calm him down.

“It’s like a foreign language,” the President said.

He also lashed out at the crew, saying “You know, your paper was making a lot of noise. It’s tough enough.”

Article II begins with the words: “The executive Power shall be vested in a President of the United States of America. He shall hold his Office during the Term of four Years, and, together with the Vice President, chosen for the same Term, be elected, as follows:”