On Trump’s B’day, Reliving His Colourful Persona With Speeches
From his xenophobia to his sexism, Donald Trump’s speeches bare it all. Here’s a look at a select few.
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(This story was first published on 14 June 2018, and is being republished in light of US President Donald Trump's 73rd birthday.)
Video Editors: Vivek Gupta and Mohd Irshad
Referring to Mexicans as "rapists", repeatedly threatening North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and mocking him as the "little rocket man", dismissing women with casual sexism countless times – it seems like United States President Donald Trump's repertoire of controversial statements just keeps growing.
On the occasion of the US president’s 72nd birthday on 14 June, we bring together some of the most 'colourful' speeches that he has made in the recent past, which would remind you who the president of the United States of America really is.
Here's a brief overview of what he said in those speeches:
1. Trump and Mexico-Phobia Go Hand-in-Hand
Trump's disdain for neighbouring Mexico has become a well-known truism, encapsulated in his elaborate plans to construct a wall on the Mexico border.
In June 2015, this is what he said about Mexicans immigrating to the US.
2. He's Patriotic, In a Way?
In September 2017, President Donald Trump — in the garb of patriotism — trained his guns on the National Football League (NFL) players for kneeling during the playing of the national anthem.
Notably, the kneeling by many of the players was an act of protest against police brutality and racial inequality, which became an issue of public anger in 2016 after NFL player Colin Kaepernick’s protest.
Following that was Trump’s message to the NFL owners in response to the resistance:
3. And We Can’t Miss the Casual Sexism
Those following President Trump even on an occasional basis must be aware of his blatant sexism.
Among the women Trump has attacked is Megyn Kelly, a former news anchor at Fox News, who was hosting a Republican presidential debate in August 2015. Peeved by her questions about his past statements on women, Trump said this about her in an interview with CNN:
Trump and his team sought to justify his comments, saying the word “whatever” had been mistaken for “wherever”, and that the President was referring to the anchor’s nose by that word, and not anything else.
4. With World Leaders, His Language Is Everything But Diplomatic
And of course, how can we talk about Donald Trump without delving into the controversial comments he has made about his counterparts across the world.
In November 2015, while on the campaign trail in Knoxville, Tennessee, Trump lashed out German Chancellor Angela Merkel for opening up Germany to Syrian refugees. These were the words he used:
Another leader who has come into Trump’s line of fire recently is Canadian PM Justin Trudeau, who has differences with him over trade tariffs.
But the most glaring example of Trump’s unabashedly erratic personality is his topsy-turvy relationship with North Korea’s Kim Jong Un. Till some time back, Kim was a “madman” and “little rocket man” for Trump. But on Tuesday, 12 June, the relationship turned itself on its head as the highly-anticipated summit between the two leaders took place in Singapore.
Trump described his newfound relationship with Kim thus:
So what should be our message to the US President on his 72nd birthday? Well, for starters, he should start working on making America controversy-free again. Perhaps that will help America become great again.
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