Former President Donald Trump is drawing ridicule online after praising his running mate JD Vance's memoir without ever mentioning the book's title, fueling speculation that he never read it.

During a July 2024 appearance on Fox News' "Jesse Watters Primetime," Trump lauded his partnership with Vance and cited his 2016 memoir as proof of their shared views on working-class America. "And he wrote a book which was a classic, as you know," Trump said, before summarizing its themes.

Viewers quickly noticed, however, that Trump avoided saying the title "Hillbilly Elegy." Social media users seized on the omission, accusing him of exaggerating his familiarity with the memoir.

"There's no way that @realDonaldTrump has actually read Hillbilly Elegy," one user wrote on X. Another posted, "He absolutely didn't even read one page of that book."

The slip reignited long-standing questions about Trump's reading habits. Former White House officials have previously described his resistance to written briefings, while his ghostwriter for "The Art of the Deal," Tony Schwartz, has suggested the former president rarely reads books.

In past interviews, Trump has been caught making conflicting statements about other works, including Tom Wolfe's The Bonfire of the Vanities.


Critics say that the latest episode shows Trump's focus on performance instead of preparation. Supporters say he is strong in communication, not in policy papers or memoirs.

The controversy arises as Trump starts his new term as the 47th president. This raises broader concerns about his engagement with complex policy details at the start of his administration.

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