Ellen DeGeneres reportedly gave Donald and Melania Trump a gold stroller after Barron was born
Then business tycoon Donald Trump (C) with son Baron, and Ellen DeGeneres. (Jean Baptiste Lacroix/WireImag via Getty/Richard Rodriguez/Getty Images)
As Ellen DeGeneres faces continued criticism for her comments on her friendship with former US president George W Bush, another apparent friendship has crept out of the woodwork.
Current US president Donald Trump and his wife, first lady Melania Trump.
Oh.
What happened?
A few minutes into the second quarter of last week’s game between the Dallas Cowboys and the Green Bay Packers, TV cameras at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, cut to stadium owner Jerry Jones’s private suite.
But many viewers were perplexed by what they saw.
DeGeneres appeared to be sharing a joke with Bush, who snickered as she read something from her phone.
Portia de Rossi (L) and Ellen DeGeneres watch the Green Bay Packers and Dallas Cowboys warm up before the game. (Richard Rodriguez/Getty Images)
Viewers were bemused by the odd couple, considering the former president’s problematic past with LGBT+ rights (and the Iraq War) and DeGeneres being an outspoken activist.
But detractors’ confusion quickly turned to rage as many took to Twitter to slam the pairing. An outcry so intense that it prompted DeGeneres to confront criticism on her show.
“Here’s the thing, I’m friends with George Bush,” she said in a slot dedicated to clarifying her position, stressing that it’s OK to be pals with people who “don’t share the same beliefs”.
In the aftermath of the game, however, people remained unswayed. User stressed that Bush’s chaffing history with civil rights and international relations is more than a mere difference of opinion.
‘A golden stroller complete with its own chandelier (courtesy of Ellen DeGeneres)’.
Rafael Shimunov, a critic of DeGeneres, posted a satirical version of DeGeneres’ monologue on The Ellen Show.
But instead of tweets supporting her and footage of Bush laughing in the background, it’s scenes from the Iraq War.
She reportedly tried to take it down due to copyright, yet Shimunov was resilient and reposted it on YouTube.
As Ellen DeGeneres Show continues to submit false copyright claims on legally protected satire in order to stop my viral video about her friendship with GW Bush, please do share the Youtube version (and find me on Facebook for that version too).https://t.co/jl2xeNanUg
— rafael (@rafaelshimunov) October 9, 2019
Now, Shimunov sparked greater backlash against the daytime television host after he dug up a 2006 People Magazine article about Donald and Melania Trump welcoming their son, Baron, into the world.
Or as People Magazine dubbed him: ‘The Billion Dollar Baby.’
Celebrity and luxe high-profile figures reportedly showered the baby with golden gifts – including DeGeneres.
“Trumps’ $100 million triplex penthouse, gifts from friends – including a golden stroller complete with its own chandelier (courtesy of Ellen DeGeneres) and gazillions of onesies – greeted Barron’s arrival. “It’s fun,” says Melania of the stroller. “It makes you laugh.” – People pic.twitter.com/3zJrT59ov1
— rafael (@rafaelshimunov) October 15, 2019
In the picture, Melania is pushing the empty baby receptacle around a gold-plated room sat on a floor of Trump’s $100 million penthouse in New York City exclusively for Baron. Chandelier glistening.
As a result, DeGeneres continued as a lightning rod for further criticism, as Shimunov’s following called her “grotesque” and one simply responding with: “Yikes.”
Melania Trump pushes a non-golden baby carriage with her and Donald Trump’s son Barron William Trump inside in 2006. (Arnaldo Magnani/Getty Images)
Trump was not in politics at this point – filling his days with TV show cameos and signing businesses deals – but he was still a controversial figure at the time.
