President Donald Trump took aim at Hollywood actor Tom Cruise’s height during a wide-ranging speech at the McDonald’s Impact Summit in Washington, D.C., on Monday, November 17, 2025. The president’s comments came during remarks that touched on multiple subjects before pivoting to discuss recent military operations against Iranian nuclear facilities.
Trump, 79, praised the B-2 bomber pilots who participated in the June 2025 attacks on three Iranian nuclear sites. When describing the military personnel who flew the missions that dropped bunker-busting bombs on Iran’s enrichment facilities, the president drew an unexpected comparison to the action star.
“They looked like Tom Cruise. They really do,” Trump said. “I don’t want to be a wise guy and say ‘But taller.’ I’m not gonna say that. No.”
The president went on to describe the pilots as “perfect specimens,” adding that they appeared “like from a movie” and suggesting he could “take every one of them and put them in a movie.” His comments focused on their appearance, comparing them favorably to Cruise while simultaneously making light of the actor’s stature.
Cruise, 63, has maintained a decades-long career as one of Hollywood’s most bankable stars despite frequent public discussion about his height, particularly during his marriages to Nicole Kidman, who reportedly stands at five feet 11 inches, and Katie Holmes, who is reportedly five feet nine inches.
Trump’s height-related jab carries a layer of irony given recent scrutiny of his own stature claims. Photographs from his state visit to the United Kingdom in September 2025 showed the president appearing noticeably shorter than Prince William, who is listed at six feet three inches. This visual evidence has raised questions about the president’s actual height.
The president’s fixation on height is not a new phenomenon. He has repeatedly referenced the impressive stature of his youngest son, Barron Trump, who sources indicate stands at six feet seven inches or more. Trump has publicly commented on his son’s height on multiple occasions, noting the dramatic difference between his own height and that of his youngest child.
Monday’s speech was not the first time Trump has invoked Cruise’s appearance when discussing military personnel. In 2019, during a rally in Michigan, the president made similar comparisons while talking about F-35 Joint Strike Fighters. At that event, Trump discussed visiting areas where the aircraft were displayed and meeting with pilots, whom he claimed were “better-looking than Tom Cruise.”
What Trump failed to mention in his remarks was that at least one of the pilots who participated in the Iranian facility strikes was a woman. This omission undermines his comparison to the male actor and highlights the evolving composition of the U.S. military’s elite aviation units, where women now serve in combat roles alongside their male counterparts.
The timing of Trump’s comments about Cruise is notable given recent news surrounding the actor. Cruise reportedly turned down an invitation to be part of the 2025 Kennedy Center honorees, which is scheduled to take place in December 2025. According to sources, the actor cited scheduling conflicts as the reason for declining the prestigious lifetime achievement recognition.
The Kennedy Center Honors represent one of the highest cultural awards in the United States, recognizing individuals who have made significant contributions to American culture through the performing arts. Cruise’s decision to decline the honor due to scheduling conflicts suggests his continued commitment to his demanding film production schedule.
Trump’s speech at the McDonald’s Impact Summit covered considerable ground beyond his comments about military pilots and Hollywood actors. The president discussed McDonald’s business operations, the 2024 campaign, White House tariff policy, the Gulf of Mexico, cane sugar, and China in just the first 20 minutes before transitioning to the Iranian military strikes.
The attacks on Iranian nuclear facilities in June represent a significant escalation in U.S. military operations in the Middle East. The precision strikes targeted three separate enrichment facilities using B-2 bombers, which are among the most advanced aircraft in the U.S. arsenal.
The president’s decision to publicly praise the physical appearance of military pilots, while making comparisons to Hollywood celebrities, represents an unconventional approach to discussing sensitive military operations. Rather than focusing primarily on the strategic implications or operational details of the strikes, Trump chose to emphasize the aesthetic qualities of the personnel involved, drawing attention to their resemblance to a famous actor while simultaneously mocking that actor’s height.