Trump thought Jacinda Ardern was Justin Trudeau's wife - Tom Sainsbury

  • 19/11/2017

US President Donald Trump and Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern met at the ASEAN Summit, but apparently he didn't know she was a world leader.

Comedian Tom Sainsbury, best known for his Snapchat impersonations of politicians, spoke to Ryan Bridge on RadioLIVE about his conversation with Ms Ardern on Thursday night.

The two appeared onstage together at the New Zealand Music Awards when Mr Sainsbury, dressed as National MP Paula Bennett, presented the People's Choice Award alongside the Prime Minister.

He said that while the two were backstage, he asked Ms Ardern about her time at the ASEAN Summit and, most importantly, what it was like to meet Mr Trump.

"I'm not sure if I should be saying this, but she said that Donald Trump was confused for a good amount of time, thinking that she was Justin Trudeau's wife."

Donald Trump met Jacinda Ardern at the ASEAN Summit.
Ms Ardern was introduced to Mr Trump by Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. Photo credit: Jonathan Hanono, Twitter

Mr Trudeau, the Prime Minister of Canada, is married to former television host and fellow Canadian Sophie Grégoire Trudeau.

Mr Sainsbury added Mr Trump did eventually "work out" who Ms Ardern was.

In a statement to Newshub, Ms Ardern denied the US President didn't know she was the Prime Minister of New Zealand. 

"Someone thought the President had confused us, but in all of the conversations we had it was clear to me he hadn't, and recalled the conversation we had late last month," she said.

Later on at the summit the two leaders were involved in a playful conversation in which Mr Trump mentioned Ms Ardern "caused a lot of upset in her country" when she was elected Prime Minister. She retorted that "no one marched when I was elected".

Mr Sainsbury said Ms Ardern also told him Mr Trump was "not as orange in real life".

Newshub.