Following the successful launch of his range of digital trading cards, former US President Donald Trump has admitted using a fat suit or body double before, during, and after his time in the White House.

The cards, available electronically as non-fungible tokens (NFT), have drawn criticism and ridicule for presenting Mr Trump in a variety of costumes including as an astronaut, cowboy, and caped superhero. (below)

Mocking comments on numerous social media platforms derided the cards for presenting what were claimed as deliberately unrealistic images of the former President, especially a slimmed-down and muscular body shape.

But Mr Trump defended the design of the cards, saying they represented “the true me for a change”.

Speaking after a swim at his Mar-a-Lago beach resort in Florida (main picture), Mr Trump revealed he had worn fat suits or used body doubles for almost his entire career.

“I may look like a pudgy, flabby, pale, beer-gutted slug, but in reality I’m the same weight and in the same condition now at 76 as I was in high school,” he said.

“I put it down to not drinking alcohol, exercising regularly – out of view of any pesky news cameras of course – and eating only healthy foods.

“Sure, I pretend to consume only Diet Coke and burgers and fries, but I’ve had to do that to keep my audience, first in the real estate industry where all the big players are 10-ton balls of fat because they spend too much time raking in the cash and not enough time staying healthy.

“Then when I became a reality TV star in my show The Apprentice I had to appeal to a certain demographic of viewers – fat, binge-eating losers addicted to comfort foods to soothe their well-deserved inner-feeling of inadequacy. So I continued using a fat suit or body double.

“Then when I got into politics I had to keep faith with my TV audience as potential supporters of my presidential ambitions as well as appeal to a target voter demographic – toothless, tattooed, mullet-haired, gun-loving slobs.

“So I was stuck with hiding the real me and my real body which, as you can see, is pretty, pretty good. Oh yeah. Really good.”

Mr Trump said his decision to present to the public an unrealistic image of his physical self had come at a cost.

“In particular my wife Melania has had to bear an almost intolerable burden,” he said.

“I mean, can you image being in her position? She’s hot, no doubt about it. A former model. Nude model at that too. Almost as hot as Ivanka.

“Yet Melania has been forced to pretend to be attracted and married to a heavyweight marshmallow when in reality I’m a real catch with a six-pack, rock-hard guns, and thighs that can grab a pussy by themselves – and I mean that literally,” Mr Trump said.