Trump gave his Thanksgiving press conference from a tiny desk that looks like a throwback to a 2017 'SNL' skit
AP/NBC/Business Insider
- President Donald Trump on Thanksgiving held his first press conference since losing the presidential election.
- But for the focus became Trump's tiny desk, rather than his groundless attacks of the US electoral system.
- Some compared a 2017 "Saturday Night Live" sketch which used a similarly tiny desk as a punchline to mock the president.
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President Donald Trump's press conference on Thanksgiving Day was his first since losing the election — and a bizarrely small piece of furniture stole the show.
Trump used the event to stir baseless allegations of electoral fraud, and snapped at a reporter who asked questions.
But many viewers were distracted by the tiny desk at which the president was seated. Some compared to a child's desk, and wondered if images showing it had been Photoshopped (they had not).
#DiaperDon was soon trending on Twitter, and the president was compared to a child banished to a kid's table on Thanksgiving for throwing a tantrum.
The topic seemed to rile the president, who in a tweet accused the platform of fabricating "totally false 'Trends' that have absolutely nothing to do with what is really trending in the world."
—Richard Hine (@richardhine) November 27, 2020
—Jonathan Chait (@jonathanchait) November 27, 2020
Others noticed uncanny similarities between Thursday's press conference and a 2017 "Saturday Night Live" which used a tiny desk as a punchline.
In the skit, Alec Baldwin plays Trump as he is relegated to child's desk and plays with a toy while Steve Bannon (then Trump's influential chief strategist, depicted on "SNL" as the Grim Reaper) worked from the Resolute Desk.
—Fresh Mouthed Marie pays her taxes ???? (@FreshMouthed) November 27, 2020
—Jon Sopel (@BBCJonSopel) November 27, 2020
One Twitter user had an explanation for the desk, noting that it had been used by former presidents for photo ops while signing executive orders.
Its size helped accommodate a massed crowd gathering for photo opportunities, but looked strange with the president seated alone.
It is not clear why Trump used that desk for the press conference, instead of holding it in one of the White House's briefing rooms.
—???? Pinned Tweet (@Mantia) November 27, 2020