Trump Criticized After Critics Say WHCD Joke Recycled Decades-Old Material
Key Takeaways
- •MeidasTouch accused Trump and his writers of reusing a joke with documented appearances dating back to at least 2000.
- •Trump delivered the disputed joke during his Friday speech at the White House Correspondents' Dinner.
- •Trump later described the joke as the only good part of what he called a poorly written speech.
- •CNN reported that Trump’s performance at the dinner was poorly received, including his self-deprecating jokes.
- •Trump’s remarks included named insults toward journalists, older nicknames for opponents, and fat jokes that the article says fell flat.
President Donald Trump drew criticism Saturday after detractors accused him of reusing a joke that had circulated online for decades during his Friday speech at the White House Correspondents' Dinner.
The dinner is traditionally a high-profile Washington event where presidents, officials, journalists, and media figures trade jokes and satirical remarks, so the quality and originality of the material often become part of the public reaction.
At the event, Trump told a joke about a text message a senator apparently received from his wife. In the message, the wife said, “when you get home, I want you to immediately come up the stairs and make love to me.” Trump then said the senator replied, “I can’t do both.”
The progressive media organization MeidasTouch flagged the joke, saying the material had existed for years. Trump later described it as “the only thing good in this whole frickin’ stupid speech they wrote.”
“Trump (well, his writers) recycled this joke,” MeidasTouch said Saturday in a post on X. “It appeared in a Brad Paisley song released in 2007, a Tampa Tribune article back in 2000, and has been shared numerous other times on the Internet throughout the years.”
The disputed joke was one element of a performance that drew widespread negative reviews. CNN reported that Trump bombed at the dinner and tried to use meta-jokes to work around the reaction, but said his self-deprecating jokes also failed to land.
Writer Nick Bryant described the speech in blunt terms on X.
"I don't think anybody would label him the comedian-in-chief. Excruciating to watch," Bryant wrote.
During his remarks, Trump insulted journalists by name, reused older nicknames for political opponents, and delivered a series of fat jokes that fell flat. At several points, he also appeared frustrated with his writers over the material prepared for him.
Trump (well, his writers) recycled this joke. It appeared in a Brad Paisley song released in 2007, a Tampa Tribune article back in 2000, and has been shared numerous other times on the Internet throughout the years. pic.twitter.com/QIRjT3Kvn1 — MeidasTouch (@MeidasTouch) July 25, 2026