Donald Trump jokes Melania may be next to leave the White House
US President Donald Trump has proved he has a sense of humour about himself, poking fun at his recent staff issues and a meeting with Kim Jong-un at the annual Gridiron Club dinner in Washington DC.
Trump began his speech at the bipartisan dinner by joking about the departure of communications director Hope Hicks and his son-in-law Jared Kushner having his security clearance downgraded.
“Another calm week at the White House,” he said, “we finally have it running like a finetuned machine.”
“We were late tonight because Jared could not get through security,” Trump joked.
“So many people have been leaving the White House. It’s invigorating since you want turnover. I like chaos. It really is good. Who’s going to be the next to leave? Steve Miller, or Melania?”
Trump continued, revealing his staff were worried that he couldn’t do self-deprecating humour, to which he replied: “I told them not to worry. Nobody does self-deprecating humour better than I do.”
He wasn’t afraid to poke fun at his public image, saying he talked to Kim Jong-un but that the North Korean dictator would be facing “the risk of dealing with a madman.’’
Trump joked he’d offered Jeff Sessions a ride to the dinner, but that the attorney general had “recused himself”, a little dig about the tense relationship between the pair since Sessions recused himself from the Russia probe.
Trump then launched into his favourite subject – the media.
He started by calling them “quality people”, adding, “It’s been a very tough year for CNN. They’ve lost a tremendous amount of credibility this year. And your best reporter, Steve Bannon. That guy leaked more than the Titanic. Boy did he leak.”
He also gave a shout out to his Vice President Mike Pence, saying his comedy talent was as a straight man.
“He is very straight!” said Trump, continuing, “I really am very proud to call him The Apprentice,” Mr Trump said of his VP. “But lately he’s showing a particularly keen interest in the news these days. He is asking has he been impeached yet? I don’t like that.”
It is tradition for the president to attend one Gridiron dinner.