Trump’s White House Renovations Fulfill Obama’s Prediction, Kind Of
In 2011, President Barack Obama mocked Donald Trump at the White House correspondents’ dinner, an event that some say motivated the then-real estate mogul to pursue the presidency and make his own mark on the White House.
During the dinner, Obama addressed Trump’s repeated and false claims questioning Obama’s U.S. birth, which had propelled Trump to prominence among Republican presidential hopefuls for the 2012 election. Obama joked about Trump’s ambitions, imagining the changes he would bring if elected.
“If elected, Trump would bring some changes to the White House,” Obama said while showing a satirical photo of a remodeled White House branded as “Trump” with large purple letters, alongside words like “hotel,” “casino,” and “golf course.”
This mockery is widely believed to have inspired Trump’s eventual 2016 presidential campaign. In my book, The Art of the Political Putdown, I use this moment to highlight how politicians employ humor to assert dominance. Obama’s taunt reportedly embarrassed Trump, who briefly stopped promoting the birther conspiracy before later reviving it.
Author’s summary: Obama’s 2011 ridicule of Trump helped fuel Trump’s presidential ambitions and foreshadowed the real estate mogul’s efforts to leave his distinctive imprint on the White House.