‘I was trying to be funny’: Trump explains viral G7 comment

US President Donald Trump has clarified that his widely shared “I’m the boss” comment during the G7 summit was made in humour

PGurus Newsdesk

June 20, 2026

Trump says his viral “I’m the boss” remark at the G7 summit was meant as a joke, not a statement of authority

US President Trump says his widely shared “I’m the boss” comment was intended as humour and not a statement of authority

US President Donald Trump has clarified that his widely circulated “I’m the boss” remark made during the G7 summit was intended as a joke, saying he was merely trying to be funny when he made the comment to fellow world leaders.

Speaking on The Axios Show, Trump addressed the moment that quickly gained global attention after footage of the exchange spread across social media and news platforms. The US President said the comment was never meant to be taken seriously and was made in a light-hearted manner as he entered a room where leaders from the world’s major democracies were already seated.

When asked during the interview how many leaders at the summit might have believed the remark, Trump replied that he was simply joking and that the context had been overlooked as the clip travelled around the world.

According to Trump, the leaders were already gathered when he entered the room and greeted them with the quip. He noted that those present were all prominent heads of government and that the comment was intended to draw laughs rather than signal any form of authority.

“I was trying to be funny. I wasn’t trying to be the boss,” Trump said, expressing surprise at the amount of attention the remark received internationally.

“You walked in and you said, ‘I’m the boss.’ How many of them believed that?”@POTUS: “All of them, but I was just being funny.” 😏 https://t.co/TuyS6ttu15 pic.twitter.com/KqzkKFWkrk
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) June 19, 2026

The moment occurred during the final day of the three-day G7 summit, where Trump entered a morning session and jokingly announced, “I’m the boss,” prompting laughter from several leaders in attendance.

French President Emmanuel Macron appeared to take the comment in good humour, responding with a friendly greeting before the leaders proceeded with the meeting.

The summit brought together leaders of the G7 nations to discuss a range of global issues, including tensions involving Iran, the ongoing conflict in Ukraine, international trade, and broader geopolitical challenges.

The Group of Seven, or G7, consists of Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom and the United States. The forum was established in the mid-1970s as a platform for major industrialised democracies to coordinate on economic and political challenges.

France is currently hosting the summit under its rotating presidency and is set to hand over leadership responsibilities to the United States in 2027.

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