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Okay, in context this headline and, really, the entire article seem pretty batshit. Trump did not announce a re-election bid. He told a string of awful scripted jokes that concluded with his dumb hat.
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/jul/24/white-house-correspondents-dinner-trump-washington
It's always a "joke" until it isn't. This is textbook gas lighting, and its a documented tactic from him and abusers like him.
I think the reason no one's reporting it is that it just isn't a story. Trump makes comments like this all the time. There's a difference between him making them and him actually announcing a re-election bid, which is the claim in the headline and article. Why would he even announce at the White House Correspondents Dinner while he's bombing on stage? It just makes no sense. This reporting is bad.
If you listen carefully, you will find he never jokes. Testing the waters at least.
Sure. I mean, in this context it's probably more trolling than that. Why test the waters in a room full of people who despise you? But that's completely immaterial to whether this story is true. If the headline was "Trump indicates for the nth time he really wants a third term", that would at least be defensible. It says that he has announced a re-election bid. He has not.
Yes, you are technically right about that. But it doesn't change the more important point.
A common excuse of abusers and gas lighters is that they "were only joking".
I don't disagree with you.
But that has no bearing on whether this story is true. The claim is that he has "announced a re-election bid." He hasn't. And you know this -- your recent comments are about him cloaking his intent or desire in feigned humour. I don't disagree that he's doing that. But, he does not need to do that if he has actually announced a re-election bid.
I think he (on a subconscious level) knows this would basically sign his death warrant if he officially did it cold turkey like you say would show it was real. That's probably why he did it like this: to ease his way into doing it.
To use a relevant metaphor: raping children right away doesn’t work. They're dry and scared. You gotta lube up first. This was him opening the lube bottle.
Which makes it no different than his recent comments:
Donald Trump Fuels Third-Term Speculation After Saying He'd Like To Be 'Next President' (yesterday)
Donald Trump Mocked Over Word Flub After Joking About Running for Third Term as President (July 22)
Trump blends economic message with third-term tease in Pa. (June 23)
Also, that's a gross metaphor.
So the gas lighting has been going on for a bit?
Gross? We literally have someone who actually did that stuff sitting in the oval right this second. So, if anything, its a presidential metaphor.
From Trump? Decades and decades and decades.
I'm not sure gross and presidential are mutually exclusive.
Alright, I think I've reached my jumping off point with this one. Good talk. You're great, whatever I think about the article. Have a good one.
It's been fun internet stranger. Until we meet again!
Honestly it's just textbook odd Trump ramblings. To say it's gaslighting suggests some level of thought goes into what he says. He just not that smart.
He isn't and neither is Bannon but their strategy has always been to desensitize the population.
They both mentioned the third term multiple times but amongst a thousand other flood the zone bullshit it just went through. When they officially announce it nobody will be surprised and 24h later there'll be some other scandal like trump shitting his pants again.
It's like a never ending stream of shit that keeps people in a state of outrage but never quite enough to not go to work and protest.
None of it is particularly smart and it's all extremely obvious but it works.
This look like he's not serious?
I can't see anything on YouTube. Is this just the video version of the OP?
Yes
ok I wasn't doubting that he said it...
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/07/25/us/politics/is-this-supposed-to-be-fun-trump-hurls-insults-at-correspondents-dinner.html