Christian Bale Reveals His Wild Interaction With Trump in Resurfaced Video: “He Thought I Was...”

Hollywood often offers surreal hilarity, and Christian Bale’s wild anecdote about Donald Trump is no exception. A resurfaced video has sparked interest in the Oscar-winning actor’s bizarre encounter with Trump while filming The Dark Knight Rises, proving truth can sometimes be stranger than fiction. In 2011, while filming scenes at Trump Tower in New York City, Bale—fully dressed as Bruce Wayne—found himself face-to-face with Trump. At the time, Trump owned the iconic skyscraper, which was doubling as the headquarters of Wayne Enterprises in Christopher Nolan’s Batman trilogy.

According to Bale, what followed was an unexpected and thoroughly entertaining interaction. During an interview at the premiere of Vice, a film where he transformed into former Vice President Dick Cheney, Bale recalled, "I met him, one time. We were filming 'Batman' in Trump Tower and he said, 'Come on up to the office.' I think he thought I was Bruce Wayne because I was dressed as Bruce Wayne. So he talked to me like I was Bruce Wayne and I just went along with it, really. It was quite entertaining. I had no idea at the time that he would think about running for president," as per CBS News.

While Trump’s mistaken identity assumption is amusing on its own, it’s worth noting his long-standing admiration for the Batman franchise. Years later, when Ben Affleck took over as Batman in Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice, Trump openly praised Affleck’s portrayal, even tweeting his approval in 2013. Affleck also shared that Trump was 'very supportive' of him as the Dark Knight during a 2017 interview.

Trump’s admiration of Batman didn’t end there. When he delivered his inaugural address in 2017, fans noted eerie similarities to a speech given by the villain Bane (played by Tom Hardy) in The Dark Knight Rises. In the movie, Bane exclaims, “We take Gotham from the corrupt! The rich! The oppressors of generations who have kept you down with myths of opportunity. And we give it to you, the people.” However, in contrast, in his speech, Trump said, “Today’s ceremony, however, has a very special meaning because today we are not merely transferring power from one administration to another or from one party to another, but we are transferring power from Washington, D.C., and giving it back to you, the people.”

Both speeches emphasized themes of returning power 'to the people,' igniting comparisons and adding another layer of absurdity to Trump’s connection with Gotham City’s lore. As per ScreenRant, Trump Tower’s role in the movie extended beyond hosting Bale’s memorable meeting with Trump. The building stood in for the exterior and lobby of Wayne Enterprises, with scenes such as Bruce Wayne leaving a meeting with board members filmed at the iconic location.