Trump Delivers Lukewarm Comedy Speech to White House Journalists
Donald Trump spoke at the White House Correspondents' Association dinner on Friday night, receiving a lukewarm reception. He began by thanking the police officers who saved him in April. He then criticized several journalists, including Kaitlan Collins from CNN, and pointed out that she should smile. Trump also mocked Joe Biden and joked about Bobby Kennedy. He ended the evening by wearing a hat that mentioned the year 2028.
President Donald Trump has delivered a speech at the White House Correspondents' Association dinner on Friday evening. Although he has spoken here before, the audience gave his jokes a very lukewarm reception this time. The event took place months after police officers saved him from a gunman in April.
Trump started his speech by praising the brave law enforcement officers. However, he quickly turned his attention to criticizing individual media members. He targeted Kaitlan Collins, who works as the chief White House correspondent for CNN. Trump commented that she never smiles and pointed out that she should smile more.
Before his speech, the president shook hands with journalists from the Wall Street Journal. This reporting team recently won an award for coverage of an alleged letter about Jeffrey Epstein. The Trump administration has sued the newspaper for defamation because of this reporting.
Additionally, the president insulted several prominent Democratic politicians during his long speech. He criticized Governor Gavin Newsom of California, Chuck Schumer, Kamala Harris, and Elizabeth Warren. He also joked about former President Joe Biden by describing a White House lawn fight. He suggested that people only need to ask Biden a question to see him lose consciousness.
Furthermore, Trump joked that Bobby Kennedy ran over a cow and brought the beef to the dinner. This joke about Kennedy was one of the few moments that made the crowd laugh. At the end, the president wore a hat that said 'Trump 2028' to announce a new run. The association president, Weijia Jiang, closed the night by emphasizing the true value of journalism.
Take a position. Out loud, if you can.
Four ways to start. Pick one and try saying it before you scroll on.
Tip · Record yourself, use in a notebook, or practice with a language partner.
What kind of reception did Donald Trump's jokes receive?
Present Perfect Tense
We use the present perfect tense to connect the past to the present, often for actions that have current importance or are recently completed.
“The Trump administration has sued the newspaper for defamation because of this reporting.”
What to know · B1
Try saying this aloud
Scenario: You are describing a speech or presentation you recently watched.
- 01“delivered a speech”
- 02“gave his jokes a very lukewarm reception”
- 03“pointed out that”
Register tip · neutral
🔑Key Phrases
A major annual media dinner event in Washington, D.C. attended by journalists and politicians.
He received an invitation to the White House Correspondents' Association dinner.
Used to describe showing appreciation to police or security forces.
The mayor started the event by praising the brave law enforcement officers.
Used when someone takes legal action because a newspaper printed false negative claims.
The local actor sued the newspaper for defamation after the false review.
Highlighting why reporting news accurately is highly important.
She finished her lecture by emphasizing the true value of journalism.
💬Discussion Questions
Open-ended questions to talk or write about — alone, with a partner, or in class.
- 1
If you have to write a speech for a class, what topic will you choose?
Personal - 2
How has the way we learn about current events changed over the last ten years?
Compare - 3
What is the most effective way for teachers to handle students who do not pay attention?
- 4
Why is it important for students to read articles from different news sources?
Opinion - 5
How do you feel when a speaker uses jokes that might offend some people?
Personal - 6
What will happen to traditional newspapers as more students get their news from social media?
Predict - 7
How can schools better prepare young people to identify fake news?
- 8
In what ways can public speaking skills help someone in their future career?
Compare - 9
Do you think that funny teachers are more successful at helping students learn?
Opinion
News sourced from: The Hill →. LectoPress rewrites the facts as original graded-reader text for language learners.
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