Donald Trump welcomed the Dutch King Willem-Alexander and Queen Máxima to the White House on Monday, and a small but noticeable detail caught people’s attention when he and Melania Trump posed for obligatory photos with the royal couple.
Over-inflating one’s size is a common theme amongst men, and not just in sensitive areas, with the masculine urge to lie about height often proving irresistible to many guys, and that appears to extend to the U.S. President, who may have been caught short… quite literally.
Who is measuring?
In what seemed like a standard photo moment, Trump appeared to stand about a foot in front of the others. This positioning raised questions about whether his officially stated height of 6’3” is still accurate, as he looked considerably shorter than King Willem, who is believed to be between 6’2” to 6’3”.
Over the years, both during his presidency and on the campaign trail, Trump has consistently claimed he is “6 foot 3 inches” tall. As recently as last April, a White House medical report listed his height as “75 inches,” which equals “6’3”.” If correct, he would be roughly the same height as King Willem-Alexander. However, the photo from Monday certainly suggests otherwise, with Trump appearing two to three inches shorter than the Dutch monarch.
To make the difference less obvious, he appeared to position himself about 12 inches (or a foot) ahead of the King, Queen, and Melania during the photo.
What could be the reason for shrinking?
There are several possible reasons for shrinking, especially for someone of Trump’s age, as he turns 80 later this year. Many of these changes are linked to aging and can start as early as 40, with people losing about “0.5 inches a decade.”
Anything from spinal disc degeneration, osteoporosis and bone density loss, to muscle loss, and flattening foot arches are all identified as possible causes. While you can’t simply defy the aging process, some of its effects can be managed. Height loss linked to posture, muscle decline, or spinal compression can be partially improved through regular exercise, especially weight-bearing and resistance training, along with posture work. Proper nutrition, including enough protein, calcium, and vitamin D, also plays an important role in maintaining bone strength.
Although some height reduction is normal, experts at the Cleveland Clinic note that losing “2–4 inches” is not considered typical and may indicate an underlying issue.