Stay up to date with notifications from The Independent

Notifications can be managed in browser preferences.

Donald Trump Jr suggests overturning Roe is direct result of Obama humiliating his father at 2011 dinner

Donald Trump’s appointment of three conservative justices during his one term in office fundamentally altered the balance of the court

Bevan Hurley
Friday 24 June 2022 22:15 BST
Comments
Biden condemns 'extreme ideology' of Supreme Court after Roe v Wade decision

Your support helps us to tell the story

From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.

At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.

The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.

Your support makes all the difference.

Donald Trump Jr claimed that the origins of the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v Wade can be traced to President Barack Obama’s infamous roast of his father at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner in 2011.

Don Jr posted a crude meme to Instagram in which he suggested Donald Trump’s embarrassment at the black tie event 11 years ago created a domino effect that resulted in Friday’s ruling.

“F*** around and find out,” Don Jr, who also posted the meme on Truth Social, wrote.

Donald Trump’s appointment of three conservative justices during his one term in office fundamentally altered the balance of the court, ensuring a 6-3 conservative supermajority for years to come.

All three Trump-appointed justices, Neil Gorsuch, Brett Kavanaugh and Amy Coney Barrett, voted to strike down Roe, after insisting during their confirmation hearings that they would respect legal precedents.

Mr Trump also took credit for the ruling, which ends 50 years of women’s constitutional rights to an abortion, calling it “the biggest WIN for LIFE in a generation”.

Jokes during the 2011 edition of the WHCA reportedly punctured Mr Trump’s pride so badly that he resolved to run for the presidency that night.

Don Jr suggests that the Roe v Wade decision could be traced to his father’s humiliation at the WHCA in 2011
Don Jr suggests that the Roe v Wade decision could be traced to his father’s humiliation at the WHCA in 2011 (Instagram)

Host Seth Meyers and President Barack Obama set their sights on the then-Celebrity Apprentice host in a particularly scathing series of jokes.

They ridiculed Mr Trump for his “fox”-like mane of hair, and his prospects as a presidential candidate.

In one caustic roast, Mr Meyers said: “Donald Trump has been saying he will run for president as a Republican, which is surprising since I just assumed he was running as a joke.”

Mr Obama joined in, going after Mr Trump for pushing the racist birther conspiracy, that claimed he was not born in the United States.

The President displayed his talent for stand-up at the annual White House correspondents’ dinner
The President displayed his talent for stand-up at the annual White House correspondents’ dinner (Reuters)

“No one is prouder to put this birth certificate matter to rest than The Donald,” Mr Obama said.

“And that’s because he can finally get back to focusing on the issues that matter, like, ‘did we fake the moon landing? What really happened in Roswell? And where are Biggie and Tupac?’”

Clearly unable to see the funny side, Mr Trump glared at the stage before storming out.

Join our commenting forum

Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies

Comments

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in