Theresa May has joked about the size of Donald Trump’s hands at a private fundraiser for Tory donors.
The Prime Minister was caught holding hands with the President moments before they held a joint news conference at the White House last month. The unlikely gesture led to a slew of speculation about what was behind the hand holding.
According to The Telegraph, Ms May made a tongue-in-cheek remark about the President’s hands at the Black and White Ball, the annual Tory fundraiser, on Monday night.
“Thank you very much for that wonderful reception,” the Prime Minister reportedly said after taking to the stage.
“I don’t think I have received such a big hand since I walked down the colonnade at the White House.”
Mr Trump’s “small hands” are the feature the billionaire property developer has gained the most repeated jibes for. Political opponents, commentators and comedians have all poked fun at his hands.
The obsession with his hands is believed to have started nearly 30 years ago when Graydon Carter, the former editor of Vanity Fair, described Mr Trump as a “short-fingered vulgarian” in the now-defunct Spy magazine.
Mr Trump is ultra-sensitive to this particular insult and has denied rumours about the size of his hands. After his former Republican political opponent Marco Rubio took aim at his hands on the campaign trail, Mr Trump snapped back in a television debate.
“Look at those hands. Are they small hands? … I guarantee you there’s no problem," Mr Trump said.
Since photos of Ms May and the President holding hands emerged, a number of rumours surfaced about what had caused the unscripted part of the Prime Minister’s US trip. One rumour suggested the President was afraid of ramps and stairs. After the incident, a Downing Street representative said it was a “chivalrous gesture” on Mr Trump’s part.
