a barrel of laughs
Trump jokes at Gridiron Dinner: 'Nobody does self-deprecating humor better than I do'
President Trump delivered a joke-filled address at the Gridiron Dinner in Washington Saturday night, where he was joined by "members of the opposition party" — the press — and "some Democrats," too.
The annual dinner is similar to the White House Corespondents' Dinner, which Trump skipped in 2017. "My staff was concerned that I couldn't do self-deprecating humor. And I told them not to worry, nobody does self-deprecating humor better than I do," he quipped Saturday.
Many of Trump's jokes targeted members of his administration and family, as well as himself. "I won't rule out direct talks with Kim Jong Un," he said. "As far as the risk of dealing with a madman is concerned, that's his problem, not mine." More seriously, Trump noted his insistence that Pyongyang "denuke" before nuclear negotiations begin.
Perhaps the president's most headline-making joke of the night addressed the chaos and turnover in the White House — at the expense of his wife, first lady Melania Trump. "So many people have been leaving the White House. It's actually been really exciting and invigorating 'cause you want new thought," Trump said. "So, I like turnover. I like chaos. It really is good. Now the question everyone keeps asking is, 'Who is going to be the next to leave? Steve Miller or Melania?'"
The Gridiron Dinner is not filmed, but you can read more of Trump's wisecracks here.