A clip of Donald Trump making a nasty comment about someone’s breath during a live CNN interview has gone viral. Many can’t believe what they’re witnessing, particularly amid persistent rumors about his own hygiene.
The moment occurred during a 1989 appearance on “Larry King Live” when Trump, discussing his business expansion plans, suddenly interrupted the conversation with an unexpected personal observation.
“Do you mind if I sit back a little bit because your breath is very bad, it really is,” Trump said without warning. “Has this ever been told to you before?”
King, clearly stunned, replied that nobody had ever mentioned it to him.
Trump pressed further, asking incredulously, “Has nobody told you that? Sharon hasn’t said it? You’re kidding,” he continued, referring to King’s ex-wife at the time, Sharon Lepore.
The veteran broadcaster attempted to recover by suggesting this was how Trump gained an advantage in business dealings, saying, “That’s how you get the edge.”
Trump seemed momentarily taken aback by King’s quick thinking, responding, “See, that little thing you threw me right then, and no one has ever told me that.”
When the Instagram page History Doesn’t Exist shared the nearly 40-year-old footage, social media users had plenty to say about the bizarre encounter.
“Is he trying to be being funny or strategic as it’s a poor attempt at both,” one person commented, capturing the confusion many felt watching the clip.
Others found humor in the situation, nodding to the rumors that he smells bad, with one user joking, “Says the one who is decomposing,” while another observed, “He can be honest but can’t take honesty about himself.”
Additional viewers weighed in with their own takes, with one person writing, “Now they are moving away from him wow,” and another commenting, “Weak confidence from trump. Rehearsed unfortunately.”
The responses revealed how the moment struck viewers as both entertaining and revealing of Trump’s personality, with one user noting, “This trump attitude did not start today eeee don tay.”
The story took an interesting turn during a 2010 interview when Trump returned to King’s show and provided context for the infamous breath comment.
King introduced the segment by saying “That was early Trump,” prompting Trump to acknowledge “It was very skinny Trump – but I took such heat because you were saying, ‘How do you put people off guard? What do you do to put people off guard?’ And I said, ‘Well, Larry, your breath is absolutely terrible.’ And you even were offended by it, and you forgot the first part of your question.”
King confirmed the aftermath of that original interview, explaining how “People came over to me, ‘Well, Donald Trump hates you,’ and ‘Why would he say that to you?’ And you got flak.”
Trump admitted his earlier statement wasn’t truthful, revealing “And your breath was absolutely fine, but I took heat the next day.”
The 2010 conversation provided closure to the bizarre 1989 moment, with King playfully telling Trump at the end, “Your breath is OK,” to which Trump simply replied, “Good.”
This resurfaced clip comes amid Trump’s ongoing tensions with late-night television hosts, a feud that has intensified since his return to the presidency. The conflict reached new heights recently when Jimmy Kimmel faced suspension from ABC after making controversial comments.
Trump has targeted multiple comedians over the years, including Stephen Colbert, whose show CBS terminated after the 2025-2026 season.
The president celebrated Colbert’s departure on Truth Social, writing, “I absolutely love that Colbert got fired. His talent was even less than his ratings.”
He also aimed Seth Meyers in a scathing social media attack, writing “How bad is Seth Meyers on NBC” and calling him “Marble Mouth Meyers,” adding that “every time I watch this moron I feel an obligation to say how dumb and untalented he is.”
Jimmy Fallon has also felt Trump’s wrath, particularly after the host expressed regret about a 2016 interview where he playfully ruffled Trump’s hair, according to USA Today.
Trump responded by questioning Fallon’s masculinity, posting “@jimmyfallon is now whimpering to all that he did the famous ‘hair show’ with me” and demanding, “Be a man Jimmy!” after Fallon admitted he would have handled the interview differently.
.@jimmyfallon is now whimpering to all that he did the famous “hair show” with me (where he seriously messed up my hair), & that he would have now done it differently because it is said to have “humanized” me-he is taking heat. He called & said “monster ratings.” Be a man Jimmy!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) June 25, 2018
The Kimmel controversy escalated when major broadcast station owners threatened to preempt his show over his comments about the passing of Trump’s friend.
Disney initially suspended Kimmel’s show but faced immediate backlash from supporters who organized boycotts of Disney+ and Hulu subscriptions. The pressure campaign proved effective, forcing Disney to reverse course and announce Kimmel’s return to air after what the company called “thoughtful conversations” with the host, the Hollywood Reporter wrote.
The resurfaced Larry King clip serves as a reminder of Trump’s long history of being rude to people, providing social media users with fresh material for commentary about his enduring approach to catching people off guard in both business and entertainment settings.
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