WHCD

WHCD comedian Hasan Minhaj slams Trump administration

By AIDAN QUIGLEY

Comedian Hasan Minhaj on Saturday slammed the Trump administration during an edgy performance at the White House Correspondents' Dinner, calling him the “liar-in-chief.”

Minhaj joked on a range of Trump-related topics, from his alleged connections to Russia to his early morning tweeting. He also called chief strategist Steve Bannon a “Nazi”, said press secretary Sean Spicer is a Holocaust denier and implied that attorney general Jeff Sessions is racist.

“The leader of our country is not here, and that's because he lives in Moscow,” Minhaj said. “It's a very long flight, it's a Saturday. As for the other guy, I think he's in Pennsylvania because he can't take a joke.”

He also joked that media cares too much about Trump’s golfing habits.

“Do you want to know what he's not doing when he's golfing? Being president,” he said. “The longer you keep him distracted, the longer we're not at war with North Korea. Every time Donald Trump goes golfing, the headline should read "Trump golfing, apocalypse delayed. Take the "W."

He made these jokes despite, he said, being asked to avoid criticizing Trump and the administration in absentia. White House Correspondents' Association chief Jeff Mason disputed that during Minhaj’s performance.

Trump was the first president in decades to skip the event, choosing to host a rally for supporters in Pennsylvania instead.

After pointing out that the president doesn’t drink, Minhaj joked this makes his tweets more concerning.

“That means every statement, every interview, every tweet, completely sober,” he said. “How is that possible?”

He turned serious during the final portion of his speech, talking about the struggles minorities face in America. He said as the event celebrates free speech, he decided to say what he really felt instead of “trying to fit in and not ruffle any feathers.” He credited the power of the 1st Amendment that allows him to criticize the president.

“Donald Trump doesn't care about free speech,” he said. “The man who tweets everything that enters his head refuses to acknowledge the amendment that allows him to do it.”

The comedian also made jokes at the media’s expense, from Rachel Maddow’s overselling of her scoop on Trump’s taxes to CNN’s overuse of “breaking news” taglines.