On Friday evening, US President Donald Trump participated for the first time in the White House Correspondents Association dinner, where he delivered a speech that lasted more than an hour, during which he attacked the media, a number of journalists and his political opponents, most notably Democratic Representative Ilhan Omar. He also made a series of sarcastic and controversial comments, and jokingly spoke about running for a fourth presidential term.
Trump began by saying, “I am pleased to be here at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner. There are many wonderful people here whom I like, and others whom I do not like at all, but I respect most of them,” noting that before going on stage he had been wondering whether he should be serious, funny, or a combination of both.
He added that the speech he had intended to give during the original dinner, which was cancelled last April following an assassination attempt against him, would have been more strident.
A scathing attack on the media
Trump quickly turned his criticism on the media, saying, “Tonight’s show is really about the fake news media and the way you write, produce, and act out made-up stories, just like at the Oscars.”
He added, addressing the journalists: “You have no idea how lucky you are. When I leave, you will all go bankrupt, and your business model will collapse. There will be no one left to write about, because no one cares about anyone else.”
He continued: “For this reason, and in order to show how much I care about journalism and how much I want to save your ratings, I will give you a journalistic scoop tonight.”
He also confirmed that he no longer needs traditional media after his success in reaching the public through social media, saying: “I am now number one on TikTok. I have dispensed with you, and it worked.”
“The largest gathering of Trump disorder syndrome”
During his speech, Trump mocked the journalists present, saying, “I think this place has the largest gathering of people with Trump Syndrome ever assembled at one time,” referring to the term his supporters use to describe his critics who focus excessively on attacking him.
He also praised White House spokeswoman Caroline Leavitt, saying she has one of the toughest jobs in the US administration because of her daily interactions with journalists.
Renewed attack on Ilhan Omar
Trump devoted part of his speech to attacking Democratic Representative Ilhan Omar, repeating his old criticisms of her and renewing his demand that she be expelled from the United States, as part of his controversial statements about her.
He also repeated accusations he had previously made against her over the years, without providing any evidence to support his claims, accusing her of being hostile to the United States and ungrateful to the country that welcomed her after she sought refuge there.
Trump's attacks were not limited to Omar, as he described the Democratic leader in the Senate, Jewish Senator Chuck Schumer, as a "Palestinian," using the description in a sarcastic and critical manner, continuing his criticism of Schumer for his handling of political disputes with Republicans.
Netanyahu to visit Washington in the coming days
During the dinner, President Trump said that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu would be visiting the United States in the coming days, without providing further details about the timing or agenda of the visit.
Criticism of journalists and media professionals
Trump also attacked a number of journalists, including broadcaster Don Lemon, whom he described as “the dumbest man on television,” as well as CNN correspondent Kaitlan Collins, whom he said “never smiles,” arguing that she did not deserve the award she received during the dinner, and describing her reports as “fake news.”
He added, addressing Collins: “You work for the fake news network, you should be happier, just smile, Caitlan,” before making several sarcastic comments about her, which were met with some boos from the audience.
Attacks on his political opponents and celebrities
Trump's criticisms extended to a number of political and artistic figures, including California Governor Gavin Newsom, Senators Elizabeth Warren and Chuck Schumer, actress Rosie O'Donnell, and singer Bruce Springsteen.
He sarcastically remarked about Springsteen, "What happened to this guy? He looks like he's in bad shape," adding that his tour had turned into "Boredom in the U.S." instead of "Born in the U.S.A.", a reference to his famous song.
Jokes about the fourth presidential term
In one of the most attention-grabbing moments of the speech, Trump wore a hat bearing the slogan “Trump 2028,” before jokingly announcing: “I am pleased to announce my intention, and this is somewhat of a scoop, to run for afourth term as President of the United States.”
He added that his announcement was intended to “save the ratings” of the media, in a sarcastic reference to their continued interest in his news, and he reiterated his claim that he won the 2020 election.
Other jokes during the speech
Trump touched on the issue of term limits in Congress, expressing his support for imposing time limits on congressional membership, before telling a joke that received little reaction from the audience, commenting sarcastically that it was “the only good joke” in the speech that had been written for him.
He also recalled the 2011 White House Correspondents' Association dinner, when former President Barack Obama mocked him during the event, denying that that night was what prompted him to run for president for the first time.
The speech was not without jokes at the expense of Health and Human Services Secretary Robert Kennedy Jr., as Trump said that the latter “brought a cow that he ran over with his car to be served at dinner,” before adding sarcastically that he was also thinking of serving a “dead raccoon” on the menu.
It is worth noting that this year's White House Correspondents' Association dinner was held at the Waldorf Astoria Hotel in Washington, D.C., after being postponed from last April, following a shooting incident during the original event that led to the evacuation of the president and senior U.S. administration officials from the hall.
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