Trump’s White House Renovations Fulfill Obama’s Prediction, Kind Of
In April 2011, President Barack Obama mocked Donald Trump during the annual White House Correspondents’ Dinner, which may have spurred Trump’s later presidential run and desire to leave his mark on the White House.
At the time, Trump, a reality TV star, had repeatedly and falsely claimed that Obama was not born in the United States and thus ineligible to be president. His persistent demands for Obama to release his birth certificate made Trump a leading Republican contender for the party’s nomination in the 2012 presidential election.
President Obama joked about Trump’s presidential ambitions, saying that if Trump were elected, he would bring changes to the White House.
Obama drew attention to a satirical image shown to guests, depicting a remodeled White House labeled with large purple letters “Trump” and “The White House,” accompanied by words like “hotel,” “casino,” and “golf course.”
This public ridicule of Trump has been credited with motivating him to run for president in 2016.
My book, The Art of the Political Putdown, includes Obama’s chiding of Trump to illustrate how politicians use humor to assert superiority over rivals.
Obama’s mockery humiliated Trump, who briefly abandoned the birther conspiracy before reviving it later.
Author’s Summary
Obama’s 2011 mockery of Trump not only influenced Trump’s political ambitions but also foreshadowed the changes Trump would later seek in the White House.