President Donald Trump attended the White House Correspondents’ Association () Dinner for the first time on Friday, delivering a speech that quickly dominated social media. The president spoke for just over an hour, mixing jokes with criticism of the news media while targeting journalists, politicians and celebrities.
“I am delighted to be here at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner. Amazing people, a lot of people that I like. Some I don’t like at all, but I respect most of them,” Trump said.
Amid all the jokes and criticism, Trump has also been caught on camera appearing to doze off on multiple occasions.
The gala, held at the Waldorf Astoria in Washington, D.C., had been postponed after an armed attacker disrupted the original April event.
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Five moments that generated the biggest online reaction
1. ‘This evening is all about the fake news media.’ Trump wasted little time attacking journalists. “This evening it’s really all about the fake news media and your writing and producing and performing made-up stories.”
He compared news coverage to the Academy Awards, claiming both had lost popularity because of criticism directed at him. The remarks quickly circulated on X, where clips of the speech attracted millions of views within hours.
A user , “Well. Don’t think any journalists will be writing fake stories about Trump Correspondant Dinner Speech. They don’t have to. This disaster has written itself.”
2. Trump says journalists will be ‘broke’ without him. Trump claimed the media depends on him for ratings. “When I’m gone, you’re all going to be broke. Your business model is going to be finished.”
He argued that audiences only remain interested because of his presence in politics, adding that “nobody gives a damn about anybody else.”
The room erupted in laughter when Trump said the statement. But users online were not as beside themselves. A user on X , “People are already broke, but him being gone will help moral.”
3. Kaitlan Collins, Don Lemon and CNN become targets. Trump singled out several CNN personalities during his speech.
While acknowledging Kaitlan Collins receiving an award, he dismissed the reporting that earned it and joked that she “never smiles.” He also called former CNN anchor Don Lemon “the dumbest man on television” and criticized Anderson Cooper, saying the anchor’s attitude changed after Trump entered politics.
CNN later defended its journalists. Chairman and CEO Mark Thompson said the network stood by its reporting and emphasized that press freedom is protected by the US Constitution.
4. “Sleeping Donny” makes a comeback. Seated on the dais between White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt and President Weijia Jiang of the White House Correspondents’ Association, Trump seemed to momentarily nod off as journalists were honored for their coverage of the second Trump administration.
A user , “My Grandpa always fell asleep all the time like that. He needs to retire and live his best life 🙏🙏🙏”
In another image clicked by Reuters, Trump appeared to make an annoyed “pissed” expression as he scratched his head.
A user hilariously asked and wrote under the picture, “Fleas?”
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5. Nicki Minaj “Get down!” joke. During his speech, Trump goes back to the first WHCD in April that ended midway due to a shooting incident. Trump pays tribute to his beloved musician pal Nicki Minaj in a funny jab in the same line.
He said, “After hearing the gunshots, many people yelled ‘Get down!’ which caused Nicki Minaj to start twerking. Can you believe it? She’s the only one that really understood what that meant.”
A user on X , “Oh Nicki…did you hear what your president said about you? He is making fun of you.”
