Even if it would be 'good politically,' Trump won't be adopting a dog anytime soon


You'd think President Trump would love to have a golden retriever or orange tabby following him around the White House, but it looks like a first pet won't be joining the Trump family anytime soon.
During his rally Monday in El Paso, Trump acknowledged that people "love" dogs, and said he wouldn't mind having one, "but I don't have any time." Moments later, he admitted that the idea of him walking a dog on the White House lawn "feels a little phony," and while people have urged him to get one because it's "good politically," he has no interest. His daughter-in-law, Lara Trump, supports animal rescues, and ABC News reports she's the one who has been trying to get him to adopt a dog.
The Trumps are the first modern family in the White House to not have any pets. Barack Obama had Bo and Sunny, FDR had Fala, and Richard Nixon had Checkers, and even Trump's beloved Andrew Jackson had a pet parrot named Polly, who attended his funeral in 1845, but was reportedly kicked out because she wouldn't stop squawking profanities.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
He might not want a dog, but Trump is fond of accusing people of behaving like one. When Sen. Mitt Romney (R-Utah) lost the 2012 presidential race, Trump tweeted that he "choked like a dog," and he's mocked "Sloppy Steve Bannon," his former chief strategist, for being "dumped like a dog by almost everyone." Maybe if Trump actually did own a dog, he'd know that they are faithful creatures, and he would never have told actor Robert Pattinson in 2012 that Kristen Stewart "cheated on him like a dog & will do it again — just watch."
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Catherine Garcia has worked as a senior writer at The Week since 2014. Her writing and reporting have appeared in Entertainment Weekly, The New York Times, Wirecutter, NBC News and "The Book of Jezebel," among others. She's a graduate of the University of Redlands and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.
-
July 12 editorial cartoons
Cartoons Saturday's political cartoons include generational ennui, tariffs on Canada, and a conspiracy rabbit hole
-
5 unusually elusive cartoons about the Epstein files
Cartoons Artists take on Pam Bondi's vanishing desk, the Mar-a-Lago bathrooms, and more
-
Lemon and courgette carbonara recipe
The Week Recommends Zingy and fresh, this pasta is a summer treat
-
Trump set to hit Canada with 35% tariffs
Speed Read The president accused Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney of failing to stop the cross-border flow of fentanyl
-
Mahmoud Khalil files $20M claim over ICE detention
Speed Read This is the 'first damages complaint' brought by an individual targeted by the Trump's administration's 'crackdown' on Gaza war protesters
-
Trump threatens Brazil with 50% tariffs
Speed Read He accused Brazil's current president of leading a 'witch hunt' against far-right former leader Jair Bolsonaro
-
AI scammer fakes Rubio messages to top officials
Speed Read The unknown individual mimicked Rubio in voice and text messages sent to multiple government officials
-
SCOTUS greenlights Trump's federal firings
speed read The Trump administration can conduct mass federal firings without Congress' permission, the Supreme Court ruled
-
New tariffs set on 14 trading partners
Speed Read A new slate of tariffs will begin August 1 on imports from Japan, South Korea, Thailand and more
-
Elon Musk launching 'America Party'
Speed Read The tech mogul promised to form a new political party if Trump's megabill passed Congress
-
Judge blocks Trump's asylum ban at US border
Speed Read The president violated federal law by shutting down the US-Mexico border to asylum seekers, said the ruling