Politics - News Analysis

White House Edits Video to Make it Appear Like Trump Lifted Sumo Trophy All By Himself

Donald Trump presented sumo champion Asanoyama, dressed in a loin-cloth, a four-foot, 60-pound trophy on Sunday after playing a round of golf and dining on double cheeseburgers with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.

The Associated Press reports that Trump donned dark-colored slippers when he entered what is known as the sacred mound where sumo wrestlers battle.

First Lady Melania Trump was not allowed to join him in accordance with Japanese tradition that prohibits women from entering the ring.

Trump was allowed to sit on a low-back chair instead of sitting cross-legged ring side as tradition mandates.

“That was something to see these great athletes,” Trump said before dining at a Hibachi restaurant. On Monday, he will be the first foreign official to meet Japan’s newly-crowned emperor at a lavish ceremony.

Trump also tweeted about the event, but the White House video differs from the actual video.

Take a look:

But, if you look at other videos, you will clearly see another man next to Trump doing all the heavy lifting.

About 1,000 of the 11,000 seats in the legendary Kokugikan sumo venue, including some of the most expensive, were reserved for Trump, Abe and their security teams.

U.S. and Japanese secret security agents paced through the venue hours before Trump’s arrival and lined the hallways that take the wrestlers to the ring, while ordinary fans had to pass through metal detectors and take a sip of any beverages they brought with them in front of security.

Other departures from tradition had prompted complaints ahead of time, including the provision of armchairs for Trump and his wife Melania instead of the “zabuton” floor cushions customarily used by ringside spectators and a ban on the sale of bottled beer and hot tea.

The match was also paused for Trump and Abe’s arrival, just before the bout of tournament winner Asanoyama, a rising Japanese star.

“It was too bad that the match was halted to allow Trump to enter, and also that the usual drinks service was different,” said Hisao Sakai, 66, a long-time sumo aficionado.

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