Former President Donald Trump has responded to a viral moment from the 2011 White House Correspondents’ Dinner, where then-President Barack Obama famously mocked him. At the time, Trump was in attendance and had recently been a leading voice in promoting the false “birther” conspiracy, which questioned Obama’s U.S. citizenship. The dinner followed Obama’s release of his full birth certificate to silence rumors that he was not born in the United States. Trump had taken credit for the release, claiming that he succeeded where others had failed. Obama used the event to publicly ridicule Trump, making him the centerpiece of a biting comedic segment.
In a now-viral clip from the dinner, Obama sarcastically praised Trump for putting the birth certificate controversy to rest so he could focus on bigger issues like the moon landing and the whereabouts of Biggie and Tupac. He also joked about Trump’s decisions on Celebrity Apprentice, poking fun at his leadership style. Comedian Seth Meyers followed with more jabs, mocking the idea of Trump running for president and suggesting he was only doing it as a joke.
The event quickly turned into a roast, leaving Trump visibly uncomfortable, and many believe it played a pivotal role in his decision to later pursue the presidency. Trump recently addressed the incident through a video on Truth Social, framing the dinner not as his public embarrassment, but as the moment that ignited his political ambitions.
The clip labeled the event “the beginning,” not the end, of Trump’s journey. This post follows renewed attacks by Trump on Obama, including accusations of treason and a deepfake video showing Obama being arrested.
