Donald Trump is known for his height among world leaders, often standing out in family photos. Yet, at the NATO summit in Ankara, Turkey, Trump found himself looking up to several counterparts. The annual meeting saw an unusual lineup of tall heads of state, including Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama towering at 6-foot-7. Other leaders like German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte reportedly stand near or above Trump’s 6-foot-3 stature.
This gathering featured a notable number of towering political figures, altering the usual optics of the NATO family photo. Trump, typically the most imposing figure, found several peers matching or exceeding his height.
NATO Height Rankings
Edi Rama, once a professional basketball player, stands at 6-foot-7. Friedrich Merz is reported by German media to be around 6-foot-6, adding to the list of the tallest leaders at the summit. Mark Rutte is said to be 6-foot-4. Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez and Croatian Prime Minister Andrej Plenković are both approximately 6-foot-3, matching Trump in height.
Other leaders are shorter. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan is about 6 feet. French President Emmanuel Macron is 5-foot-7, while British Prime Minister Keir Starmer is around 5-foot-8. Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni ranges between 5-foot-3 and 5-foot-4.
Standing Among U.S. Presidents
Trump is among the tallest modern U.S. presidents. Only Abraham Lincoln, taller at 6-foot-4, and Lyndon Johnson at 6-foot-3 1/2 surpass Trump. Thomas Jefferson measured 6-foot-2 1/2.
George Washington, Chester A. Arthur, Franklin D. Roosevelt, George H.W. Bush, and Bill Clinton were 6-foot-2. Andrew Jackson, John F. Kennedy, Ronald Reagan, and Barack Obama stood at 6-foot-1. James Madison was the shortest U.S. president at 5-foot-4.
NATO Comparisons
During the summit’s family photo, leaders’ stature offered a striking visual cue. Trump’s physical presence is usually dominant, but this time, he was joined by leaders of similar height, creating a more balanced tableau.
In 2016, during the NATO summit in Warsaw, Poland, Barack Obama was president. Serbian Prime Minister Aleksandar Vučić, standing at 6-foot-6, overshadowed other leaders. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau was 6-foot-2.
In 2006, George W. Bush was the U.S. president at the NATO summit in Riga, Latvia. French President Jacques Chirac was 6-foot-2.4, with Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper listed at 6-foot-2.
Contact Newsweek editors on this topic: Jordan King and Dave Siminoff.