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Hats off to President Trump! At the conclusion of his speech to the annual White House Correspondents’ Dinner, Trump donned a red cap with 2028 emblazoned upon it and declared that he had hit upon a scheme to “save” the ratings of the new media. “I am pleased to announce my intention to run for a fourth term as President of the United States,” he said.
Trump evoked a few titters from the assembled press corps at the Waldorf Astoria Hotel, but that was about the extent of the hijinks. In one sense, it’s no laughing matter. What will the press do without Trump? He’s correct in viewing himself as its savior. Without the 24/7 entertainment provided by the Donald, views would dwindle.
The truth is that the media has battened off his presidency as much as he has profited from its coverage of him. It was no accident that journalists like the Wall Street Journal’s Josh Dawsey obediently trooped up to the dais to shake his hand after they received an award. Trump remains a figure of star power.
But Trump has clearly lost a step or two. He slurs his words. His attempts at ad-libs fell flat, for the most part. Watching the speech was about as amusing as observing butter melt. His funniest line was when he took a swipe at Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., observing that “I hope that everyone finally got to enjoy their entire very delicious beef tenderloin, very special beef. And I want you all to know that Bobby Kennedy, who’s right here, personally ran over the cow in his car, and he cut it up and he brought it here for you to eat tonight.”
