07.11.2024 13:21
In 2011, at the White House Correspondents' Dinner, Obama's speech mocking Trump played a significant role in his entry into politics. By ridiculing the controversy surrounding Obama's birth certificate, Trump was propelled into a political career. This incident increased public support for Trump while provoking a backlash against the Democrats. Similarly, in Turkey, the condescending attitudes towards Erdoğan also backfired among the public. In both cases, the people supported leaders they perceived as victims and who were looked down upon.
On April 30, 2011, at the White House Correspondents' Dinner, President Barack Obama drew attention with a mocking speech directed at businessman Donald Trump. At that time, Trump was supporting the "birther" theory, claiming that Obama was not an American citizen, and questioning Obama's birth certificate. In his speech, Obama joked about this issue, stating that he would show a "birth video" to dispel the doubts about his birth certificate, and then showed a scene from The Lion King. Trump later joked that he could turn to investigating "whether the moon landing was fake, what happened in Roswell, and where Biggie and Tupac are" in response to the mocking of his interest in conspiracy theories.
Trump maintained his cool at the dinner and did not react, but later, feeling challenged, he began to seriously consider entering politics. Some Americans view Trump's rise as a reaction to the arrogant attitudes of Obama and other Democrats that night. According to them, the mocking approach shown to Trump that night ignited the fuse of the reaction against the Democrats and was a significant factor in the public's support for Trump, who was treated with disdain.
Obama's mocking words towards Trump at the 2011 White House Correspondents' Dinner are seen years later as a turning point on Trump's path to the presidency. The contemptuous attitude Obama displayed towards Trump created a sympathy for Trump among the public and led to a reaction against the arrogant and elitist stance of the Democratic Party. At that time, many Americans believed that the Democrats' exclusion of Trump was perceived as a challenge and triggered Trump's emergence as a strong alternative.
This event is likened to the condescending attitudes of secular groups in Turkey towards Recep Tayyip Erdoğan years ago. When Erdoğan was approached with mocking expressions like "he can't even be a neighborhood head," the public's support for Erdoğan, elevating him to a strong leader position, reflects a similar societal reaction. Democrats in America and secularists in Turkey have been criticized for their arrogant and exclusionary attitudes in the eyes of the public, and these reactions have paved the way for the rise of strong leaders in different countries.
This picture can be interpreted as the public sending a message of "we stand with the victim," carrying these figures to power in response to elitist attitudes.