‘He’s Literally the Older Brother’: Trump Attempts to Size Up a Leader Smaller Than Him, But It Falls Apart Once Viewers Catch the One Detail He Overlooked
President Donald Trump has spent years insisting that aging somehow does not apply to him.
The nearly 80-year-old president has long pushed the image that he is still somehow operating in his prime — or at least trying hard to sell it.
He constantly brags about cognitive tests, his energy levels, and feeling younger than men half his age.
But his latest social media post left critics convinced he wants to be young again.
On Sunday, May 24, Trump posted a photo of himself standing beside Chinese President Xi Jinping during their recent summit in Beijing.
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The image showed Trump smiling beside Xi during the heavily watched diplomatic trip.
His caption read, “President Xi and President Trump are AMAZING!”
Beneath it was a banner with a strange message that read, “President Trump gets YOUNGER.”
The first issue that immediately jumped out?
LMAO! President Trump just posted: “Trump gets YOUNGER” as he ages
Cue the meltdowns
47 is glowing with energy! pic.twitter.com/6IBjseqAe8
— Eric Daugherty (@EricLDaugh) May 24, 2026
Xi is younger than Trump. He turns 80 on June 14, while Xi is 72.
Standing side by side, the US president appeared with his broader shoulders and fuller hair than usual.
Though some suspected the image had been doctored, the original was posted by the White House and taken by a press pool photographer.
Daily Beast readers quickly mocked Trump for portraying himself as stronger, younger, and more dominant than world leaders he openly appears fascinated by.
But then, people zoomed in on his behavior, and the comments online were brutal.
“We all get younger when we photoshop our pictures. The only thing that wasn’t changed is the makeup on his right hand,” one person wrote. Another added, “This man is unhinged.”
A third commenter joked, “Donald Trump was born in 1946; the People’s Republic of China was founded in 1949. He’s literally the ‘older brother’ in this photo.”
“Trump is 5’11 and weighs 284 lbs. Dementia makes him think he is looking younger,” another critic posted. One frustrated commenter added, “Trump’s posting and proclamations get more ridiculous — infantile — by the day. Perhaps more accurately, by the hour.”
Another person wrote, “I wish his cosmetic delusions were the real issues. He is hell bent on turning the US into a bankrupt real estate deal, except his daddy is no longer here to bail him out. Unfortunately that falls to us.”
The viral post only added to criticism surrounding Trump’s recent China trip, where viewers spent days dissecting his behavior around Xi.
Trump has long tried to project himself as physically dominant around foreign leaders through aggressive handshakes, awkward positioning during photo ops, and what critics often describe as performative body language.
But many viewers felt those tactics completely fizzled beside Xi. He didn’t allow any Trump flexing to happen during the most recent trip.
During one Beijing press conference, reporters repeatedly asked Trump whether he discussed Taiwan with the Chinese president.
Instead of answering directly, Trump became irritated before blurting out compliments about China being a “Great place” as he dodged the question.
Another viral clip showed Trump awkwardly pausing during a ceremonial walk beside Xi before suddenly stopping and turning toward aides rushing nearby. Critics online mocked what some called Trump’s “alpha strut,” arguing it looked more uncomfortable than intimidating.
Part of the fascination surrounding the two leaders comes from how dramatically different their paths to power actually are.
Xi rose through China’s Communist Party over decades after spending years doing manual labor during Mao Zedong’s Cultural Revolution.
He later climbed through provincial leadership positions before becoming president in 2013 and is now viewed as China’s most powerful leader since Mao, according to the BBC.
The president’s obsession with appearance actually shapes how he presents himself publicly — including in the “getting younger” photo itself.
The grandfather of 11 has been openly joking about age in recent weeks. Yet he was offended by a few late-night comics putting him on blast.
“Now, I don’t happen to be a senior. I’m much younger than you. Look at you old guys, wouldn’t you like to be my age? It’s young, vital, vibrant,” Trump recently joked during a speech at a Florida retirement community, according to Yahoo! Entertainment.
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Xi, nearly a full decade younger and carrying himself with quiet authority, hasn’t felt the need to make such remarks.
And maybe that’s the point — when a man is constantly pulling attention toward how young and vital he looks, it starts to read less like confidence and more like insecurity.