President Donald Trump was requested throughout a press convention on April 30, 2025, concerning the potential impression of his tariff insurance policies and commerce battle with China.
Trump answered that American kids ought to put together to make sacrifices at Christmas.
“Maybe the children will have two dolls instead of 30 dolls, you know,” he mentioned, “and maybe the two dolls will cost a couple of bucks more than they would normally.”
The New York Occasions reported that Trump gave the impression to be telling youngsters they must handle with fewer toys this 12 months for the sake of his financial agenda.
Jane Mayer, a reporter with The New Yorker, known as it “Trump’s Marie Antoinette moment.”
This was not the primary − or final − time Trump mentioned one thing that left many Individuals with mouths open and heads shaking.
“I don’t really believe I’ve made any mistakes,” Trump replied.
The viewers, representing a cross part of Individuals, burst out laughing.
Trump’s gaffes aren’t simply a part of his presidency; gaffes are a part of the storied custom of the American presidency. A few of these feedback have clung to presidents and even affected historical past.
Listed here are examples from every president over the previous 50 years or so of statements that at the very least a few of them had been embarrassed by or got here to remorse. Every was made when the president was serving within the White Home. The quotes are organized chronologically.
Donald Trump auditions for Grinch-who-stole-Christmas function.
Richard Nixon is a law-abiding man
On Nov. 17, 1973, President Richard M. Nixon, within the midst of the Watergate scandal that may finish his presidency, defended himself in opposition to costs of corruption.
“People have got to know whether or not their president is a crook,” Nixon mentioned. “Well, I’m not a crook. I’ve earned everything I’ve got.”
As an alternative of quelling the scandal, as Nixon hoped, his phrases produced the other response. He resigned from the presidency 9 months later in August 1974.
Gerald Ford forgets the Chilly Struggle
Gerald Ford, Nixon’s vp who grew to become president after Nixon’s resignation, subsequently ran for election in 1976.
Throughout considered one of his televised debates in opposition to Democratic nominee Jimmy Carter, Ford inexplicably claimed the Soviet Union didn’t management Japanese Europe.
“There is no Soviet domination of Eastern Europe,” Ford mentioned, “and there never will be under a Ford administration.”
To which the moderator, New York Occasions editor Could Frankel, mentioned, “I’m sorry, what?”
Ford’s comment was so outrageously incorrect that it might have contributed to his defeat within the tight presidential election.
Gerald Ford says it’s actually a Heat, not Chilly, Struggle.
Jimmy Carter will get recommendation from his teen
Carter defeated Ford and was elected in 1976. He ran for reelection in opposition to Republican nominee Ronald Reagan in 1980. Throughout considered one of their debates, Carter mentioned he sought the recommendation of his 13-year-old daughter, Amy, on what was crucial concern going through America.
“She said she thought it was nuclear weaponry,” Carter mentioned, “and the control of nuclear arms.”
Carter tried to point out that arms management was a topic that had nice resonance to even 13-year-olds. As an alternative, it left viewers puzzled why he had inserted his daughter into the controversy. A wire service story on the time summarized the response by saying that reporters masking the controversy winced and others groaned.
Jimmy Carter has a sensible 13-year-old daughter.
Ronald Reagan assaults Russia
Reagan, a former tv and film actor who defeated Carter within the 1980 presidential election, was often called “the Great Communicator” for his eloquence.
A well known anti-Communist, Reagan was not all the time cautious about what he mentioned.
Earlier than a speech on Aug. 11, 1984, Reagan joked throughout a sound verify, “I’ve signed legislation that will outlaw Russia forever. We begin bombing in five minutes.”
The joke on the open mic, which was not broadcast stay however leaked later, resulted in a Soviet purple alert − and briefly moved the U.S. and Soviet Union towards battle.
George H.W. Bush eats phrase salad
Reagan’s successor, his vp, George H.W. Bush, by comparability was no nice communicator. His phrases got here out of his mouth and appeared to go in separate methods.
“I have opinions of my own, strong opinions,” Bush mentioned, “but I don’t always agree with them.”
Invoice Clinton is or isn’t, possibly
Democrat Invoice Clinton defeated George H.W. Bush within the 1992 presidential election.
Clinton’s presidency was dogged with accusations of unethical habits and extramarital affairs. Clinton, in testimony earlier than a grand jury investigating his affair with White Home intern Monica Lewinsky, was requested whether or not he was mendacity when he instructed aides that “there’s nothing going on” between him and Lewinsky.
“It depends on what the meaning of the word ‘is’ is,” Clinton responded. “If the − if he − if ‘is’ means is and never has been, that is not − that is one thing.”
Slate journal mentioned that this response might have been the “defining moment” of his presidency and, in doing so, captured his contribution to semantics. As Time journal identified,
“Until then, America hadn’t been sure there was more than one definition of ‘is.’”
George W. Bush’s disgrace
George W. Bush, the son of George H.W. Bush, succeeded Clinton within the White Home. Individuals realized that Bush had extra in widespread along with his father than simply the identical final title.
“There’s an old saying in Tennessee − I know it’s in Texas,” Bush mentioned, “probably in Tennessee, that says, fool me once, shame on − shame on you. Fool me − you can’t get fooled again.”
Barack Obama strikes out
Barack Obama, like Reagan, was identified for his humorousness. And like Reagan, Obama realized that not every thing was a joking matter.
Whereas showing on “The Tonight Show” with Jay Leno in 2009, Obama mentioned he had improved his bowling by working towards on the White Home bowling alley. He instructed Leno he had bowled a pedestrian rating of 129, scary a sarcastic response from Leno.
Obama then made the next joke: “It’s like the Special Olympics or something.”
Obama rapidly apologized to the Particular Olympics, the athletic competitors for folks with mental disabilities.
Obama made a nasty joke concerning the Particular Olympics throughout an interview with Jay Leno; he rapidly apologized for it.
Mandel Ngan / AFP/Getty Photographs
Joe Biden’s dangerous day
Trump was first elected president in 2016 however was defeated by Joe Biden within the 2020 election. Trump and Biden confronted one another once more in 2024.
Throughout a tv debate on June 27, 2024, CNN anchor Jake Tapper requested Biden why voters ought to belief him to resolve the immigration disaster. Biden mentioned he modified a legislation that allowed Trump and his administration to separate immigrant households and put kids in cages.
Biden’s practice of thought then jumped the tracks.
“And I’m going to continue to move until we get the total ban on the − the total initiative relative to what we’re going to do with more Border Patrol and more asylum officers,” Biden mentioned.
“I really don’t know what he said at the end of that sentence,” Trump mentioned, “and I don’t think he did, either.”
The identical may very well be mentioned for a lot of what Biden mentioned throughout the debate.
Biden withdrew from the presidential race three weeks after his poor debate efficiency.
