President Donald Trump‘s constant need for praise and awards is a well-known trait of the 79-year-old, and he has displayed his hubris on multiple occasions. During a retreat for Republican lawmakers of the Congressional Institutein Doral, Florida, on Monday at the Trump National Doral Golf Club, the POTUS stopped by to rile up the crowd about his war in Iran. As the president made his entrance and broke into one of his familiar swaying dances, several GOP leaders on stage appeared eager to show their devotion, with the moment quickly turning into what looked like an unspoken contest as allies tried to outdo one another in demonstrating their loyalty to the commander in chief. Donald Trump’s need for praise prompts never-ending clapping at a Congressional Institute retreat for Republican House members. (Photo: Andrew Harnik/Getty Images) The retreat was for the Republican Members’ Issues Conference. Trump often enters the stage to the song “God Bless the USA” while at MAGA rallies and events, but the song never ends when the commander in chief reaches the podium. Folks are often left standing as they look on in awkward, never-ending applause as the song drags on and Trump performs one of his signature dances. ‘OMG…This is Wild’: Marco Rubio Tries to Steal the Moment at Trump Event — Trump Snaps, Starts Cursing and Quickly Moves to Put Him Back in His Place The case was no different while addressing members of the Congressional Institute, the group that organizes the event, at his Trump National Doral golf club, and video captured several Trump officials clapping away as Trump stood at the podium and basked in the limelight. House Republican Conference Chairwoman Lisa McClain, Speaker of the House Mike Johnson, House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, and House Majority Whip Tom Emmer appeared onstage with the president, and they all clapped enthusiastically as the song dragged on and Trump did his swaying side-to-side dance. At one point, Scalise stopped clapping, but he started up again as the song continued to play. A video of the moment was shared on Threads with the caption, “oh my goodness — watch Mike Johnson, Scalise, Emmer, and McClain clap like seals for Trump for nearly two minutes straight. None of them want to be the first to stop!” View on Threads Reactions on social media varied, with one person noting how everyone had to keep clapping. “They’re all so terrified of him haha,” wrote one, which prompted the well-informed response, “Because his rabid base is terrifying.” Another user joked, “Somewhere there’s a circus missing all of its clowns.” The display was apparently too much for one user, who replied, “It’s making me sick!!” A final user joked, “Did they kneel as well?” The praise also made it to Johnson’s speech about Trump. “He is the man for the moment,” he gushed about Trump. “Anytime this president sees a problem, he jumps right in to fix it.” Trump went on to blame the Democrats for high oil prices, but not his illegal war in Iraq. The president ordered a joint attack with Israel on Iraq on Feb. 28, and as a result a Tomahawk missile was fired onto a girls elementary school in Minab. Trump said of the attack, “We took a little excursion because we felt we had to do that to get rid of some evil, and I think it’s going to be a short-term excursion.” A newly released video suggests a US Tomahawk missile likely struck an Iranian elementary girls’ school in Minab, killing 175 people, most of them children. The US had previously accused Iran of the attack. pic.twitter.com/9e7A72f79c— Al Jazeera English (@AJEnglish) March 9, 2026 At least 175 people, mostly little children, died in the attack. ‘Did They Kneel As Well?’: Trump’s Entrance Quickly Turns Into a Bizarre Loyalty Test as GOP Leaders Bend Over Backwards to Show Who’s Most Devoted — and the Longer It Goes, the Stranger It Gets ...read more read less