At the controversial Hamptons fundraiser hosted at the home of SoulCycle and Equinox majority owner Stephen Ross this week, President Donald Trump stirred up even more controversy by mimicking an Asian accent and mocking South Korean President Moon Jae-in and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzō Abe, the New York Post reported.
When news broke that Ross was hosting the fundraiser for the president, a number of people decided to cancel their memberships to the fitness centers in protest. Referencing the criticism Ross had received, Trump said, “Steve Ross got into a little bit of trouble this week, I said, ‘Steve welcome to the world of politics!’”
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Trump also discussed the U.S. relationship with South Korea and complained, “So why are we paying for their defense?” Trump said, likely referring to the U.S.-South Korea joint exercises at the border with North Korea. “They’ve got to pay,” he added.
Then, Trump mocked the South Korean president’s accent while talking about how he “caved in to Trump’s tough negotiations,” the Post wrote.
But the president wasn’t done being politically incorrect and offensive. Speaking about when he asked Japanese Prime Minister Shinzō Abe whether kamikaze pilots in World War II were drunk or on drugs. Trump said, “Imagine they get in a plane with a half a tank of gas and fly into steel ships just for the love of their country!”
And still on the topic of Asia, Trump also spoke in glowing terms about North Korean dictator Kim Jong-un. “I just got a beautiful letter from him this week,” Trump said. “We are friends. People say he only smiles when he sees me.”
He added, “If I hadn’t been elected president we would be in a big fat juicy war with North Korea.”
He also reportedly praised the leader of Saudi Arabia, Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman, who the CIA concluded was responsible for the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi. And he complained that the European Union has not paid its fair share into NATO—despite Europe recently promising to spend more.
Trump has mimicked Asian accents before. In February, he used an Asian accent when talking about Xi Jinping, the president of China, which also provoked outrage. And in 2015, he used a similar accent talking about dealing with Asian business partners.