Should Trump Lowkey Be a Comedian?
There were plenty of controversial and intense moments during Donald Trump’s last presidency, with a number of odd or humorous moments.
From social media missteps to eccentric characters in his administration, here we have some of the standout funny moments that people kept in their minds.
Trump staring at the solar eclipse
Millions of Americans paused to witness the rare total solar eclipse in August 2017. Many ophthalmologists and new outlets went publicly stressing one essential piece of advice: never look directly at the sun without protecting your eyes.
As the world watched, Donald Trump on the White House balcony defied all warnings, glancing up at the eclipse, unprotected. There are rumors that a nearby aid gestured for him to look away.
The image became a symbol of impulsiveness and instantly became a meme.
Covfefe
Donald Trump’s presidency saw many bizarre phrases that have been born, and from fake news to debatable big or big leagues, none captures the public attention like the word “covfefe.” This work was created when Trump sent out a baffling late-night tweet: “Despite the negative press covfefe.”
This is all we got: no clarification, context, or explanation. The tweet sat live for hours before being deleted, so nobody knows if it was a typo, a code, or whatever else. The internet exploded with jokes, theories, and memes, and even the White House joined the fun, with press secretary Sean Spicer claiming that the president and a small group of people know exactly what he meant.
Covfefe quickly became shorthand for the moments of Trumpian fun and remains one of the most memorable unintentional comedic highlights of his term.
When Trump yelled at a boy mowing the White House
Frank Giaccio, 10 years old, wrote a letter to Donald Trump related to his lawn mowing business and how he is dreaming about mowing the White House lawn. His dream came true in September 2017, and as Frank carefully pushed the mower across the grass, Trump emerged to praise the boy’s hard work and entrepreneurial spirit and shouted over the roar of the machine.
This moment was captured in a photo of Trump leaning in and speaking loudly, focusing on Frank, and this quickly became meme gold. The image was repurposed endlessly to poke fun at major controversies, and it often represented Trump trying to fix issues in his own loud and unique way.
When Trump stood around a glowing orb with two other leaders.
This is one of the most memorable images of Donald Trump’s presidency, and it happened while visiting Saudi Arabia. He was touring a newly established anti-extremism center in Riyadh. Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, King Salman of Saudi Arabia, and Trump were invited to participate in a symbolic gesture: to place their hands on a glowing orb that would mark the center’s launch.
More than the meaning it wanted to have, the scene looked like something straight out of a sci-fi movie. Photos of the leaders with their hands on the sphere went viral and spawned comparisons to everything from an evil council discussing world dominance to characters from fantasy movies.
This bizarre and visually striking moment left many wondering how this could happen in real life. The glowing orb became this emblem of the surreal and theatrical nature of Trump’s global appearances.
Anthony Scaramucci fired after 11 days as a communications director at the White House
Highlighting the chaotic revolving door of Trump’s administration, Scaramucci, known as “the Mooch,” had a brief tenure as White House communication direction—11 days back in 2017.
This was a rapid rise and equally downfall that came after a profane and explosive interview with the New Yorker where Scaramucci unleashed a tirade talking about the then-chief of staff Reince Priebus as a “f**ing paranoid schizophrenic,” and this colorful outburst was too much even by Trump-era standards. Scaramucci was quickly ousted by chief of staff John Kelly, who would ironically be out of the job around one year later.
After this dismissal, the Mooch transformed from a supporter to a vocal critic of Trump, poking fun at his brief stint by using “a Scaramucci” as a humorous unit of time measurement.
When he waxed poeticly about Steelworker’s father, who was very much alive?
During a White House event celebrating tariffs on steel imports, a Pennsylvania steelworker union leader shared a personal story about how his father lost his job due to a foreign steel competition.
Well, in his classic fashion, the president didn’t want to lose any second and gave away a heartfelt comment: Your father, Herman, is looking down. He’s very proud of you right now.” This would’ve been so touching, excepting one detail—Herman was very much alive.
Scott Sauritch corrected him, saying, “Oh, he’s still alive, and Trump tried to pivot a lighthearted recovery. “Well then, he’s even more proud of you.” This awkward change became viral and added to the list of funny moments.
When he asked a 7-year-old if she still believed in Santa
Trump and the first lady took calls from children during a Christmas Eve tradition. All this happened through the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) Santa tracker. One of the calls created another special moment that we can remember and get a laugh at.
Donald Trump’s phone has been connected to seven-year-old Collman Lloyd, who was tracking Santa’s journey. Instead of sticking to cheerful holiday banter, Trump surprised everyone with a question: “Are you still a Santa believer? Because at seven, it’s marginal, right?” His question was lighthearted, but his oddly direct manner of saying it left many wondering if Trump had unintentionally turned into a holiday spoiler.
Collman brushed off the moment, but the exchange quickly spread online, adding to the list of humorous moments defining Trump’s interactions with the public.
Trump’s attempt to buy Greenland
In 2019, President Trump made headlines with one of his very unexpected goals: to buy Greenland. Yes, that one: the world’s largest island, an icy expanse with a population of around 56,000; it was apparently on his wishlist.
While Trump was considering this real estate venture, the internet started mocking the idea of Trump Towers photoshopping onto Greenland’s icy terrain and ideas of what a “deal” would look like.
This suggestion amused many, prompting the leaders to release a blunt statement: Greenland is a semi-autonomous Danish territory, and it’s not for sale. However, the idea became a running joke, adding even more absurd humor to his unpredictable presidency.
When he claimed fake news over a picture of his tan line
In February 2020, Donald Trump returned to the White House from a trip to North Carolina, where a photographer captured an image soon becoming internet gold: a clear tan line separated his trademark bronze complexion from the pale skin along the hairline. An edited version of the photo became viral. The contrast here was even more pronounced and sparked a wave of memes comparing him to everything from Wilson the volleyball from Cast Away to Mrs. Doubtfire.
Trump couldn’t let it slide. He took everything to Twitter and denounced the viral image as More Fake News, expressing how the picture was obviously photoshopped, “but the wind was strong and the hair looks good? Anything to demean!”
This created a humorous combination of defensiveness and fun, classic to Trump and highlighting once again a complicated relationship with the online world and his signature look.
The press conference at Four Seasons Total Landscaping in Philadelphia
That was one of the most hilarious and awkward moments of the 2020 election aftermath. Trump’s campaign scheduled a press conference that was supposed to take place at the luxurious Four Seasons hotel in Philadelphia.
In a classic Trumpian twist, this location in Philadelphia was corrected in a second tweet: “The press conference will be held at Four Seasons Total Landscaping, a small, unassuming business sandwiched between a crematorium and a s*x shop.”
This mix-up became a subject of fun, while Rudy Giuliani and other allies found themselves giving bizarre impromptu press conferences in a parking lot, making claims about election fraud.
This event was a public relations disaster for the campaign, but it became a gold dime for memes and internet jokes, not to mention a massive marketing boost for the little-known landscaping company. This place went from obscurity to meme legend, and they started to sell t-shirts and merchandise, monetizing the viral moment in the best way.
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