Trump's tongue tangles: How US president stumbles over names and accents

US President Donald Trump is serving his second term in the Oval Office as a 79-year-old GOP chief. However, he has become notorious for his unusual speech, ranging from mispronouncing common words to struggling with foreign accents. These moments are closely scrutinised by critics, especially Democrats, who condemn Trump for not moving in the direction of inclusivity and diversity.

Here are some of the mishaps summarised from his tenure and before:

Mispronounced words

Acetaminophen – Trump fumbles the common medicine name at White House autism briefing in October 2025, during a White House briefing on autism, Trump attempted to pronounce “acetaminophen,” the active ingredient in Tylenol, but stumbled over the word multiple times.

Abraham – Trump mistakenly rebrands a biblical figure as “Abrah-ahm” during a discussion on Abraham Accords with Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu in September 2025, Trump repeatedly pronounced “Abraham” as “Abrah-ahm,” claiming it was a more elegant pronunciation.

Vinay Kwatra – Trump mispronounced the Indian Ambassador’s name at a White House Diwali celebration in October 2025. Trump mispronounced Indian Ambassador Vinay Kwatra’s name as “Vinay Kwatruu." During the same Diwali event, Trump referred to Ambassador Sergio Gor’s name as “nice and easy."

Anonymous – At a Montana rally in 2018, Trump tried to say “anonymous” but stumbled, pronouncing it as “enamanoos” or “aenomanus.” The moment quickly went viral.

Yosemite – In May 2024, Trump mispronounced "Yosemite" as "Yo-semite" during a White House event before signing a land conservation bill.

Struggles with accents

French Reporter (October 2025) – During a press conference, Trump struggled to understand a French journalist’s question, which she asked in English. He said, “I cannot understand a word she's saying.” Critics called the remark “snide” and “rude,” while social media users joked, “How does he talk to Melania?”

Afghan Reporter (February 2025) – Earlier in 2025, Trump complimented an Afghan journalist on her “beautiful accent” but admitted he could not understand her question. He ended the exchange with, “Good luck, live in peace.”

Indian Reporter (September 2025) – While announcing changes to the H-1B visa policy, Trump asked an Indian reporter to “speak more clearly."

Prime Minister Narendra Modi (September 2025) – During a press conference with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Trump had difficulty understanding English-language questions in Indian accents, leading to awkward moments and awkward pauses.