Another day, another bonkers press conference performance from Donald Trump.
In the wake of the midterm election results that proved decisively that the country is, like, not here for his antics (and also places him in some pretty grave danger), President Trump appeared Wednesday before the White House Press Corps for a wide-ranging press conference wherein he seemed on the verge of puking, nearly choked up about Oprah Winfrey not liking him anymore and, of course, berating the press for not being willing to lie for him.
It was, as usual, bizarre and a bit shocking.
And then someone brought up Lil Jon. You know, as one does.
A journalist asked the President about accusations that he's made racist comments in the past, including Lil Jon's own accusations in 2016 that Trump called him an "Uncle Tom" on the set of The Celebrity Apprentice, on which he appeared twice, in 2011 and 2013. "Uncle Tom" is a slur used to label a Black person as someone who makes himself subservient or deferential to white people. According to Lil Jon, he and several of his castmates confronted Trump about the comment at the time.
https://t.co/BTLCWa0AlA— LILJON (@LILJON) 1476498658.0
But in the heated exchange with the journalist yesterday, Trump's shot back, "I don't know who Lil Jon is." When the reporter reminded him that Lil Jon appeared on The Apprentice, Trump denied remembering him, before going on to say, "I would never do that, and I don't use racist remarks, and you know what, if I did, you would've known about it."
POTUS on claim that he called Lil Jon "Uncle Tom": Trump: I don't know who Lil Jon is. Reporter: He was on 'The… https://t.co/xRjjSvsw4H— CBS This Morning (@CBS This Morning) 1541615568.0
The internet quickly went in on the President's patently ridiculous claim, starting with Trump's former protege and cabinet member, Omarosa Manigault-Newman, who, as usual, brought receipts:
Hmmmm. Can someone at the WH show #45 this picture of @LilJon. It might help jar his memory. 🤔 https://t.co/EjXuJH03Br— Omarosa (@Omarosa) 1541619174.0
And also revealed, in a detail both hilarious and humiliating, that Trump had meant to call Lil Jon "Uncle Sam":
Of course, one needn't be a celebrity to bring Trump receipts for this particular claim: they were right there in his Twitter feed, as usual:
November 7, 2018: "I don't know who Lil Jon is." July 22, 2014: https://t.co/cuAhxR5L8e— Lindsey Ellefson (@Lindsey Ellefson) 1541614756.0
Once again there is a tweet for everything. https://t.co/Mk3kt6mY3i— Matthew Doherty (@Matthew Doherty) 1541645543.0
And all over the internet:
https://t.co/BoMsqXL74Q— Jake Tapper (@Jake Tapper) 1541614466.0
And the journalist who originally broke the story chimed in, too:
@LilJon I broke the news during the campaign that Trump had repeatedly called Lil Jon “Uncle Tom” during Celebrity… https://t.co/CAAxku2lZo— Asawin Suebsaeng (@Asawin Suebsaeng) 1541614325.0
@LilJon And based on how this story was relayed to me by multiple people, I do not think Trump was trying to be rac… https://t.co/Ww5COiTQF6— Asawin Suebsaeng (@Asawin Suebsaeng) 1541614646.0
Of course, this being Twitter, the jokes using Lil Jon's trademark catchphrases soon came rolling in:
When you see Lil Jon is trending... And THEN find out it’s in relation to The Whitehouse... https://t.co/HJ1dFeUTGt— Bruce Quincey Comedy (@Bruce Quincey Comedy) 1541620215.0
@bruce_quincey I can fucking hear this gif— 𝖄𝖚𝖓𝖌 𝕭𝖗𝖔𝖈𝖈「ブラクリニ」 (@𝖄𝖚𝖓𝖌 𝕭𝖗𝖔𝖈𝖈「ブラクリニ」) 1541627805.0
Trump: You’re an Uncle Tom Lil Jon: WHAT??? Trump: An Uncle Tom Lil Jon: WHAT?????? Trump: UNCLE TOM Lil Jon: OKAYY… https://t.co/FPugUf6hOT— The Daily Show (@The Daily Show) 1541615131.0
@TheDailyShow 😂 I read that as how Dave Chapelle does his Lil Jon impressions. https://t.co/ISqcRGNZWZ— Mary H. (@Mary H.) 1541615594.0
Anyway, seems pretty clear that Trump is lying through his teeth on this one. After all, as Vampire Weekend famously told us, "Lil Jon, he always tells the truth."
H/T The Independent, USA Today