President Donald Trump grimaced his way through a physics demonstration on Thursday but couldn't shatter a high-tech glass vial shown off at the White House.

He put more than 1,000 pounds of force into it, leaning the full weight of his body against a small pile-driving machine, but the glass stayed intact.

'Come on! It's not a test of manhood,' Corning CEO Wendell Weeks joked as Trump contorted his face for effect.

President Donald Trump used a machine to attempt to crush a newly designed pharmaceutical glass bottle alongside Corning Chairman and CEO Wendell Weeks on Thursday

Trump put all his weight into it but the laboratory piledriving apparatus couldn't shatter the super-strong glass

An ordinary vial, on the left, succumbed to just 40 kg of pressure – about 88 pounds. But the new Corning glass withstood 454 kg, or 1,000 pounds, without cracking

Trump was impressed with his half-ton score

Weeks was part of a trio of executives at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue to announce a multibillion-dollar investment and thousands of new jobs related to the development of 'Valor,' a super-strong glass to be used in pharmaceutical vials.

It took just 40 kilograms of force – about 88 pounds – to destroy a conventional vial. Trump's 454 kilograms of pressure, though, wouldn't do the trick on the new and improved product.

Which was the point.

'The president just exerted about 1,000 pounds of force,' the Corning CEO said in salesman mode. 'And the important thing is that Valor glass vial is still intact and protecting the vial's ingredients inside.'

After the applause, Weeks leaned over to a White House aide for a little prompting.

Trump's demonstration was meant to show off a commitment from Corning – and its customers, Merck and Pfizer – to make the new glass in the U.S. and create thousands of jobs in the process

When the president was told that his 1,000-pound effort was similar to the force of a professional boxer's punch, he quipped: 'People never knew that about me!'

'Reed Cordish from the Office of American Innovation wanted me to also inform you,' he announced moments later, 'that 1,000 pounds is about the same as a punch from a professional boxer.'

Trump leaped in. 'People never knew that about me,' he quipped.

'Some of us do,' Cordish assured him.

'They find out,' he replied. 'They'll find out.'

CEOs from Merck and Pfizer, two companies that will use the new Corning glass for their packaging, were also in the room for a victory lap as Trump announced their commitment to Corning's future new plant and the jobs that go with it.

The president said the three corporations were committing to 'an immediate investment of at least $500 million and the creation of nearly 1,000 new jobs.'

In the long term, he said, those numbers will grow to 'at least $4 billion' and 'create some 4,000 American jobs.'