Donald Trump has sparked fresh backlash after critics claimed his newest remarks have made the US a “global laughing stock”.
At a press briefing on May 11, the President took aim at Democrats in comments many have branded “an embarrassment”.
The remarks were made during an Oval Office press conference, aired live as Fox News opted to cut away from its regular schedule, with Trump hosting an event focused on maternal healthcare.
Before the controversial exchange, the President announced a new fertility benefit package for employees.
“I was the hunted, now I’m the hunter. These are bad people,” Trump said.
He went on to argue that ‘they’ll give you no support,’ before adding: “I’ll give you an example. I don’t know the numbers. If we go to Congress to get something approved, which we get, but you can say we won’t get one Democrat vote.”
Trump then escalated the attack, saying: “I don’t know how they get away with it. That’s why we call them the ‘dumbocrats’. We have a new name. Because they’re dumb. They’re dumb people.”
Reaction online was swift, with many users on X condemning the language and calling it disgraceful.
“Always such a goddamn embarrassment,” wrote one person, while another commented: “He is actually the dumb one, who has turned the USA into a global laughing stock.”
A third added: “The sitting president of the United States is an embarrassing toddler-like moron.”
Still, not everyone disapproved. Dr Oz, the administrator of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, appeared amused as he stood alongside Trump, later describing the remark as ‘diabolically clever.’
It’s far from the first time Trump has faced criticism over what he’s said in public. Just days earlier, his Mother’s Day message also triggered debate online.
Posting to Truth Social, the President wished mothers well — but many questioned why his message quickly shifted focus.
“Happy Mother’s Day weekend to all, especially to the 115 THOUSAND AMERICANS who found jobs in the month of April alone! As usual, over 90 percent of Bloomberg Economists (nearly all of whom have a ‘Terminal’ case of TRUMP DERANGEMENT SYNDROME!) underestimated the strength of the Trump Economy,” he wrote, in a lengthy post that many argued didn’t match the occasion.
Some critics accused Trump of being ‘selfish and self centred’ for turning a holiday greeting into a statement about himself.
Another day at the office!