Turns out we can blame Obama for the rise of Trump. Because Donald Trump totally decided to run for president after President Barack Obama roasted him at the 2011 White House Correspondents’ Association Dinner, as our paper of record, the New York Times points out.
In the roast, which you can watch below, Obama says that Trump is thankful for being able to put the “birther” controversy behind him. Because Trump can now get to the bottom of more pressing mysteries:
Like did we fake the moon landing? What really happened in Roswell? And where are Biggie and Tupac?
My favorite part is when Obama merely says, “All kidding aside, obviously we know about your credentials and breadth of experience.” You can just tell by his inflection what he thinks of Trump, before launching into a joke about how Trump displayed leadership and intelligence by firing Gary Busey on Celebrity Apprentice.
It’s almost sad to read Trump’s sad sack reaction to all of this. He tries to be a good sport, but ends up “hunched forward with a frozen grimace.” Then, he vows to run for president to show the Obamas of our nation who’s boss:
That evening of public abasement, rather than sending Mr. Trump away, accelerated his ferocious efforts to gain stature within the political world. And it captured the degree to which Mr. Trump’s campaign is driven by a deep yearning sometimes obscured by his bluster and bragging: a desire to be taken seriously.
Of course, Trump denies this, saying, “I loved that dinner. I can handle criticism.”
(Via New York Times)