Albert R. Hunt, Columnist

Trump Wields a Popgun in the Battle of Wit

Presidents like to use Washington's annual Gridiron dinner as a chance to be funny. This president just gave it a shot.

March 4, 2018 at 6:50 PM UTC

Corrected

March 4, 2018 at 8:39 PM UTC

Albert R. Hunt is a former Bloomberg Opinion columnist. He was the executive editor of Bloomberg News, before which he was a reporter, bureau chief and executive Washington editor at the Wall Street Journal.

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Humor can be a powerful political weapon in skilled hands. President Donald Trump just showed that he needs to go back to basic training.

Trump rolled out his sense of humor Saturday night at the annual Gridiron dinner, where politicians have competed for over a century for an unofficial Washington comedy crown. Presidents John F. Kennedy and Ronald Reagan were especially noteworthy for using Gridiron appearances to dazzle the city's elite with their sharp and self-deprecating wit.