President Trump promises raises to troops in Qatar
President Donald Trump’s trip to Qatar was overshadowed by his plan to accept a $400 million 747 jet as a gift from the country.
A surprise stand-up set by comedian Theo Von at a military base in Qatar during President Donald Trump’s visit reportedly came together thanks his 19-year-old son, Barron Trump.
The host of the “This Past Weekend” podcast performed for troops with the U.S. Air Force at the Al-Udeid Air Base in Doha, a May 15 Instagram story confirmed. He posted photos with uniformed service members and a picture with Trump himself captioning “talkin haircare.”
During his routine that the president was absent for, Von made a plethora of jokes about drugs, homosexuality and developmental disabilities, according to the Associated Press and the Daily Beast. Among the riffs were one about snorting cocaine off the back of a “mixed baby” and one about where “the next 9/11 should happen,” AP reported.
“We don’t care if you’re politically correct,” Von told troopers, per AP.
Von also acted out having Down syndrome and called the U.S. Navy “gay,” AP reported. He also quipped about Qatar’s low crime rate, saying that police would be incapable of identifying perpetrators because everyone’s name is Mohammed and wears identical white robes. He called them the “Ku Klux Sandsman,” AP reported.
When Trump arrived on stage, he called for a round of applause for Von, who he called “a great influencer,” according to the Daily Beast. He said he had no idea who Von was until his son Barron introduced him.
“In fact, my son Barron said, ‘Dad, you’ve got to do an interview with’ somebody I hadn’t heard of, but my son knew very well — he knows everyone,” Trump told service members. “He said ‘Dad, you got to do an interview with a guy named Theo Von.'”
Who is Theo Von?
Theo Von is a stand-up comedian, actor and podcaster from Covington, Louisiana.
He hosts the “This Past Weekend w/ Theo Von” podcast ,where he features A-list guests including Mark Zuckerberg, Ben Affleck, David Spade and Morgan Wallen. He has over 7 million followers on both TikTok and Instagram.
In a profile published in April, the New York Times described Von as “one of the defining conversationalists of media’s new MAGA-friendly mainstream,” writing that he is difficult to pigeonhole both politically and culturally.
What did Trump say on Von’s podcast?
Ahead of the November presidential election, Trump made a guest appearance on an August 2024 episode of Von’s podcast, where the two shared a wide-ranging conversation. The episode was filmed at the Trump National Golf Club Bedminster in Bedminster, New Jersey.
The two discussed a variety of topics, including his relationship with his family, health care and lobbying, as well as former President Joe Biden and former Vice President Kamala Harris.
At one point, Trump told Von that he never has drank alcohol following the death of his older brother, Fred Trump Jr., who he said had a problem with alcohol. Trump said he looked up to and admired his brother, who died in 1981, calling him an “incredible personality.” He added that he’s heard alcohol is “tougher to get off of than drugs,” to which Von said that he himself is in recovery from drug and alcohol use.
“I tell people, no drugs, no drinking, no cigarettes,” Trump said. “I tell that to my kids all the time, I say ‘no drugs, no drinking, no smoking.'”
Contributing: Emily DeLetter, USA TODAY