Second White House Correspondents Dinner 2026: Trump Is Nothing More Than A Running Gag.

The irony was simply delicious watching Trump at the Waldorf Astoria Washington, DC, the hotel that Trump built, reduce himself to the level of a running joke. His appearance there marked the final swan song of his presidency, with MAGA hordes and other assorted Republicans deserting him in ever-increasing numbers with each passing day. 

Any astute political observer could have told you that it inevitably would end like this. Trump, the so-called human wrecking ball, sealed the deal on Day One of his first Administration. Everything Trump touches ends one way or another in disaster. 

But best of all is watching that sinking feeling settling in Vance and Rubio's minds that their part in this Administration is the modern equivalent of the scarlet letter -- persona non grata for a future party nomination. That's the only reason why Republican governors and senators are still smiling occasionally.

But back to Trump: in an ideal world, no one would shake the hand of such a person. But we're dealing with Americans here, a people that, at least in formal settings, puts civility above all else. Trump took advantage of that in offering his hand to WSJ reporters and, in true American spirit, they reciprocated, albeit reluctantly. I'm not going to condemn them for that. 

That farcical, surreal scene served as the perfect epitome for this Administration. January 20, 2029 can't come soon enough for most Americans. Trump is still breaking polling records, just not in the way he liked. Put more succinctly, it's already going to hell in a handbasket. And so it will drift until the midterms. Americans will once again have their say. Their message likely will speak louder and more clearly than any of Trump's. Fitting, in the end.