Trump makes awkward joke about Susan Dell in interaction that has people convinced she's 'not real'
Donald Trump caused an awkward moment at the White House when he joked about Susan Dell running for office, with her billionaire husband standing right beside her.
During the event on Wednesday (October 7), the president turned to the philanthropist and asked, "Good job, is she thinking about running for office? I'll endorse her, she has my complete and total endorsement."
Michael Dell, the Dell Technologies founder and CEO, answered quickly with a flat 'no, she's not.'
What began as praise for the couple became an unusual on-camera exchange, and clips soon spread online.
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Susan, 62, and Michael, 61, were in the Oval Office as Trump promoted the expanded Trump Accounts program, with Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent also present.
The scheme gives children born between 2025 and 2028 a $1,000 government seed deposit into an investment account, and the Mirror US reported that automatic enrollment is now live.
The couple have committed $6.25 billion to the effort, which includes $250 contributions for up to 25 million eligible children.
Is Susan Dell thinking about running for office?
Michael's immediate reply pointed firmly away from the idea, and Susan hasn't addressed Trump's remark publicly.
The offer of a 'complete and total' endorsement appeared to be a quip rather than a hint at any real plan.
Susan is best known for her charity work. She co-founded the Michael & Susan Dell Foundation in 1999 and chairs its board, steering its focus on education, health care, and family economic stability.
She is also a former fashion entrepreneur and an accomplished endurance athlete. The couple have been married since 1989 and have four children.
The pair have been closely tied to the president for some time.
They first announced their donation at the White House on December 2, 2025, in the Roosevelt Room, where they said the money would fund accounts for at least 25 million American children.
In January, Michael joined Trump and businessman Kevin O'Leary at an event on the accounts at the Andrew W. Mellon Auditorium in Washington, DC.
The couple also attended the program's launch event at the White House and a Rose Garden Club lunch on July 6, and turned up at the state dinner Trump held for Chinese President Xi Jinping on September 24.
Michael's relationship with Trump stretches back further than this term. He was among the business leaders at a Roosevelt Room meeting in January 2017, alongside Elon Musk and executives from Lockheed Martin and Dow Chemical, where Trump said his administration wanted to cut regulations on new investment.
Michael founded Dell Computer from his University of Texas dorm room in 1984, and he remains chairman and CEO of Dell Technologies.
He is one of the wealthiest business leaders in the US. While the pair have generally kept a lower political profile than some prominent business figures, their public backing of Trump Accounts has put them at the center of a growing alliance between the administration and influential figures in tech and business.
Topics: Donald Trump, Social Media, Politics
Thomas Bamford