Laughable Leaders: 10 Funny Presidential Moments

There’s a lot of pressure on world leaders to always demonstrate dignity, strength, and a calm, cool, level-headed demeanor. However, the world would be a very boring place if everyone, including our world leaders, were 100% serious all of the time. Every once in a while, it’s okay to see the more human and funny side of our leaders, and how they handle funny situations can even make us like and respect them more.

In this list, we’ll explore 10 times that we got to see our leaders reflected in a more natural, human, and funny light. The best part is that many of these items were just naturally funny: The leader wasn’t intentionally trying to make us laugh. In other items on the list, the leader was well aware that what they were doing was funny, and we even have “leaders” doing ridiculous things to the delight of huge audiences. Let’s enjoy a few entertaining moments with some of our wonderful and laughable world leaders.

Related: Ten Truths About What Life Is Like for Former U.S. Presidents

10 Icelandic President Proposes Banning Pineapples on Pizza

In 2017, Icelandic President Guðni Th. Jóhannesson caused a funny “controversy” by proposing a ban on topping pizza with pineapples. During a casual chat with high school students, he shared his strong opinion—he hated pineapple on pizza. Jokingly, he even mentioned that if he had the power, he’d ban the tropical topping altogether.

The internet wasn’t having it. Social media blew up, and Guðni had to clarify his position. He assured everyone that he didn’t really want to ban pineapple. Thankfully, he also admitted that a president shouldn’t have that kind of power.

This lighthearted moment sparked a global debate about pizza preferences but also showed Guðni’s sense of humor. This event will forever be remembered as “The Great Icelandic Pineapple Pizza Controversy.”^[1]

9 Even World Leaders Like to Party

In 2022, Finnish Prime Minister Sanna Marin found herself at the center of a scandal after a video of her dancing at a private party went viral. Some criticized her for partying while in office, but supporters, especially women, rallied behind her in a unique way—by posting their own dancing videos with the hashtag #solidaritywithsanna.

Marin took it in stride, emphasizing that she had never missed any work because of her personal life. She even took a drug test to silence critics.

The funny twist? The wave of women dancing in solidarity turned the controversy into a viral movement. The response proved that people see nothing wrong with powerful leaders partying to relieve stress and blow off steam.^[2]

8 Germany’s Former Leader Angela Merkel Had a Serious Funny Side

Angela Merkel, known for her reserved and serious demeanor, had her fair share of humorous moments during her 16 years as Germany’s chancellor. One of her most famous involved a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in 2007, where his large Labrador entered the room. Merkel, despite her fear of dogs, remained calm, and she handled the awkward situation with elegant grace.

Light and humorous moments from her time in power, including Merkel laughing at mishaps and cracking jokes, helped to humanize her stoic image. A YouTube video showing funny moments from her 16 years as the German leader has over 500,000 views as of September 2024.^[3]

7 Bill Clinton and George W. Bush’s Surprise Comedy Routine

In 2014, former U.S. Presidents Bill Clinton and George W. Bush took the stage together, and it became more of a comedy show than a formal event. As they launched the Presidential Leadership Scholars program, Bush had the audience laughing with a corny joke about selfies, saying, “At least they’re still asking.”

The levity continued when Clinton’s phone rang on stage in the middle of the event. He joked that only two people had his number, so it must be family calling, perhaps to tell him unexpectedly that he was about to become a grandfather. Quick on his feet, Bush chimed in with some hilarious advice about becoming a grandparent.

Their banter and easy friendship caught everyone off guard. The two men from completely opposite sides of the political spectrum seemed to genuinely love each other’s company, and it was clear that they shared mutual respect and admiration for one another.^[4]

6 Obama on Kanye: He Let Us Know What He Really Thinks

In 2009, President Barack Obama unexpectedly and informally weighed in on Kanye West’s infamous interruption at the MTV Video Music Awards, where Kanye stormed on stage during Taylor Swift’s acceptance speech. When asked about the incident, Obama didn’t hesitate to call Kanye a “jackass” during what was supposed to be an off-the-record moment.

As expected in the age of social media, the comment didn’t stay private for long. A reporter tweeted about it, and President Obama’s unfiltered opinion went viral, beginning a period of extensive media buzz. The whole world got a brief glimpse of Obama’s more casual, blunt side, and people loved it.

The whole episode became one of Obama’s funniest unscripted moments, and it showed a more human side of his normally reserved demeanor.^[5]

5 The Night Argentine President Javier Milei Rocked the House

On Wednesday, May 22, 2024, Argentine President Javier Milei rocked an audience of 8,000 people in a most audacious way. Clad in black leather and with his signature wild hair, he grabbed a microphone and belted out “Panic Show” with Argentine band La Renga. Shouting, “I’m the king. I’m the lion!” he turned a political event into a full-blown heavy metal concert.

Critics thought his timing was off, given Argentina’s struggling economy, but his supporters didn’t care. They cheered on their rockstar president, thrilled by his over-the-top performance. With this peculiar exhibition, Milei demonstrated that he’s not your average, reserved, starched-suit politician.^[6]

4 South Korean President Steals the Show at the White House

In April 2023, South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol rocked the U.S. White House with his spontaneous rendition of Don McLean’s “American Pie.” President Joe Biden had invited many Broadway stars to perform at the event, and after they performed, he asked President Yoon to take the stage. To everyone’s amazement, Yoon grabbed the mic and sang the first stanzas, in English, no less, delighting the crowd.

The performance wasn’t just a hit—it earned him a standing ovation from the audience and applause from the Broadway singers on stage. Biden was so impressed that he presented Yoon with a guitar signed by Don McLean.

This very special night was one of the few times in history that another country’s president stole the show at a White House event.^[7]

3 U.S. First Lady Nancy Reagan Learns to Breakdance

U.S. President Ronald Reagan’s wife, First Lady Nancy Reagan, was known for her serious dedication. She started the “Just Say No” anti-drug campaign, a cause she championed across the country. But in 1985, she surprised everyone by revealing a playful side that few had seen before. During a White House event, she learned how to breakdance, and luckily for the world, CNN captured the event as it happened.

The moment may have looked a bit awkward, but how many elegant first ladies around the world would have had the courage to do the same thing… publicly? The video shows that Reagan took learning how to breakdance seriously, but she maintained a constant attitude of fun and let the world see her more relaxed side.

Thankfully, CNN decided not to keep the video record of the event hidden in a vault somewhere in their Atlanta headquarters. On March 24, 2016, they posted the video to YouTube so the world could witness this historic occasion.^[8]

2 Turkmenistan’s President Becomes an MC for a Day

In 2019, Turkmenistan’s President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov demonstrated a creative side that we rarely see in world leaders. He rapped, sang, and played the keyboard during National Horse Day celebrations. Featuring his grandson Kerimguly, the performance was a family affair, with the duo rapping about the significance of horses in Turkmen culture. The president, known for his serious demeanor, showed a more playful side as he took to the stage, rapping energetically along to a catchy backing track.

The performance was broadcast nationwide, shocking and amusing viewers who had never seen anything like this before. One could probably count on one hand the number of times a world leader has publicly rapped with his or her grandson. This lighthearted moment revealed a softer side of Berdimuhamedov, blending modern music with traditional Turkmen cultural themes in a highly memorable way.^[9]

1 “President Trump” Thrills America’s Got Talent

One thing that people love to see is a train wreck, like world leaders behaving in very un-world-leaderly ways. However, if you can’t get the real leader to let loose and show us their wild side, why not have an impersonator do it? In 2017, Jeff Tracta, aka “The Singing Trump,” gave us a glimpse of what a Donald Trump dance show might look like on America’s Got Talent. A creative YouTuber mashed up the “Trump” performance with a “Queen Elizabeth” dance performance, and the results were some serious belly laughs.

In the short video, the America’s Got Talent audience gasped in shocked surprise and rose from their seats to show respect as “Queen Elizabeth of England” took the stage. Creative video editing, splicing the two different performances together, made it look like a dance-off between “Trump” and the “Queen,” much to the delight of the YouTube audience. As of September 2024, the video has garnered over 16 million views.

Some highlights of the video include the “Queen” shaking her moneymaker and “Trump” busting a move to “Uptown Funk” in front of beautifully adorned American flags.^[10]