President Donald Trump reportedly was displeased that White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders didn't walk out of the White House Correspondents Dinner in April, the New York Times wrote on Monday.
Comedian Michelle Wolf, who writes for The Daily Show, roasted Sanders at the annual "nerd prom" and drew flak from both sides of the political aisle for what some viewed as insults to Sanders' appearance.
"I actually really like Sarah. I think she's very resourceful," Wolf joked. "But she burns facts, and then she uses that ash to create a perfect smokey eye. Like maybe she's born with it, maybe it's lies." Wolf also called Sanders a liar and blasted her for parroting false claims by the president.
"Her actions say far more about her than about me," Sanders tweeted the following day.
On Tuesday morning, amidst reports that the relationship between Sanders and the president "has begun to sink," Wolf tweeted that Trump was "weak" for sending Sanders to the dinner in his place.
Wolf's tweet calling Trump weak got some hilarious reactions on Twitter.
"The fact he sees walking out as being strong should tell us all we need to know," one user quipped.
"Mr. Trump has told people in the West Wing that he thought Ms. Sanders should have walked out," writes Maggie Haberman, a reporter who has had intimate access to the president, "as another White House official, Mercedes Schlapp, chose to do in a showy display."
Haberman also noted that Trump has begun to "sour" on Sanders, and has made threats that he is “going to grade” her press conferences. As the Times pointed out, Trump "shies away from confrontation and does not relish firing people."
Trump has declined to attend the dinner since taking office, and some believe his avoidance of the event is due to being the butt of a joke by President Barack Obama in 2011.
Last Friday, Sanders was asked to leave a Virginia restaurant after the owner got complaints from her employees that they were not comfortable serving someone who works for an "inhumane" administration.
“I’m not a huge fan of confrontation,” Red Hen owner Stephanie Wilkinson said. “I have a business, and I want the business to thrive. This feels like the moment in our democracy when people have to make uncomfortable actions and decisions to uphold their morals.”
“I’m the owner. I’d like you to come out to the patio with me for a word," Wilkinson said to Sanders. "I’d like to ask you to leave."
The president responded on Twitter on Monday, saying Red Hen is "filthy" and "badly needs a paint job."
"I always had a rule, if a restaurant is dirty on the outside, it is dirty on the inside!"
In an unsurprising twist of irony, Trump's restaurants have hundreds of health code violations.
During her press conference on Monday, Sanders addressed the incident at Red Hen.
“Healthy debate on ideas and political philosophy is important, but the calls for harassment and push for any Trump supporter to avoid the public is unacceptable."
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