Questions Swirl Over Trump’s Absence from a Major Gathering, but It’s the Woman in the Background That Has Everyone’s Attention
President Donald Trump’s choice to sit out a high-profile international event stirred conversation, yet a single moment from a woman beside the speaker stole the spotlight.
Trump, 79, boycotted the two-day meeting in Johannesburg, South Africa, which features the leaders of the world’s wealthiest nations. No U.S. official attended the intergovernmental forum, which took place from Nov. 22 to Nov. 23.
American economist Jeffrey Sachs called out Trump for not showing up at the G20. Sachs, 71, had harsh words for the president during his speech at the 2025 University of South Africa’s Founders’ Lecture in Pretoria on Nov. 20.
“Why isn’t Donald Trump coming tomorrow? Because he has a 4-year-old mentality, and he’s having a tantrum,” Sachs told the attendees at the University of South Africa, before adding, “What is the tantrum? That the rest of the world says we don’t want a king.”
The Columbia University professor slamming Trump for his tendency to embrace authoritarian tactics got applause from the international crowd. Still, it was the Black women on stage with him who stole the show.
As Sachs spoke, the signer next to the Harvard University graduate was very expressive while interpreting the word “tantrum.” She opened her mouth wide, flayed her arms around, then ended her translation with a slight smirk on her face.
A clip of the interpreter at the UNISA event spread across social media, with people focusing on her unavoidable sign interpretation that left viewers saying she deserved to be compensated and awarded.
“Somebody give that lady a raise!!” exclaimed an Instagram commenter. A second comment read, “Watched this and could not take my eyes off her.”
A Threads user wrote, “I love how the sign language lady is describing Trump’s tantrum.” Another replied, “She deserves an Oscar for that performance.”
The praise continued when a poster proclaimed, “The refinement and passion cannot be missed. Love it.” One person jovially declared, “The swingy arms get me.”
“As someone else said, it looks like his dance,” one individual suggested, referring to Trump’s infamous arm-pumping moves that he loves to perform when dancing to music in public.
Trump recently showed off his signature dance moves at the McDonald’s Impact Summit in Washington, D.C., on Nov. 17, as The Village People’s “Y.M.C.A.” played over the venue’s speakers.
However, for that appearance in front of the fast food corporation’s executives and stakeholders, the former “The Apprentice” reality television show host threw in an unexpected hip swivel and golf swing.
The “Trump Dance” has become a cultural phenomenon among the MAGA leader’s most loyal supporters. There have even been numerous professional athletes who have adopted Trump’s gyrating motions.
Las Vegas Raiders tight end Brock Bowers, San Francisco 49ers defensive end Nick Bosa, Tennessee Titans wide receiver Calvin Ridley, and Detroit Lions wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown used the “Trump Dance” as NFL celebrations.
Trump clearly has fans in the sports world, but his place on the world stage as a statesman was called into question by Sachs. As of the time of this writing, the normally vindictive POTUS has yet to deliver a typically ferocious response.
The sign language interpreter’s now-viral moment from South Africa circulating online could be the catalyst for Trump eventually clapping back at Sachs. Meanwhile, the president is facing backlash for his behavior at the annual White House turkey pardon ceremony, where he used the occasion to take shots at his political rivals.
