VIDEO: Is This The Moment Trump Decided to Run for President?

PHOTO: President Obama delivering remarks at the 2011 White House Correspondents Dinner; screen grab from The White House YouTube channel

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WASHINGTON, DC -- The New Yorker and The New York Times are suggesting in recent stories that the seeds of Republican Donald Trump’s run for the White House may have sprung in earnest in 2011, during the annual White House Correspondents Dinner.

The event features Washington reporters dressed in their best seated in a packed ballroom with celebrity guests.

At the dinner, President Obama got off some scathing jokes at Trump’s expense. During the live broadcast and on videos from that night, Trump can be seen staring straight ahead, sitting silently in the packed ballroom, likely seething, as the room around him erupts in waves of laughter.

Was that the moment he decided that someday he would be the one sitting in the Oval Office?

The New York Times, reporting on Trump’s win in the New Hampshire Republican primary this week, wrote that “the roots of [Trump’s] candidacy can be traced to May 2011, when President Obama, during his address at the White House correspondents’ dinner, put a picture of his Hawaiian birth certificate on a large screen.”

In September, The New Yorker noted of that same night: “...one can’t help but suspect that, on that night, Trump’s own sense of public humiliation became so overwhelming that he decided, perhaps at first unconsciously, that he would, somehow, get his own back—perhaps even pursue the Presidency after all, no matter how nihilistically or absurdly, and redeem himself.”

Here are some of President Obama’s remarks from that evening, from the White House transcript:

“Now, I know that he’s taken some flak lately, but no one is happier, no one is prouder to put this birth certificate matter to rest than the Donald. (Laughter.) And that’s because he can finally get back to focusing on the issues that matter –- like, did we fake the moon landing? (Laughter.) What really happened in Roswell? (Laughter.) And where are Biggie and Tupac? (Laughter and applause.)

But all kidding aside, obviously, we all know about your credentials and breadth of experience. (Laughter.) For example — no, seriously, just recently, in an episode of Celebrity Apprentice — (laughter) — at the steakhouse, the men’s cooking team cooking did not impress the judges from Omaha Steaks. And there was a lot of blame to go around. But you, Mr. Trump, recognized that the real problem was a lack of leadership. And so ultimately, you didn’t blame Lil’ Jon or Meatloaf. (Laughter.) You fired Gary Busey. (Laughter.) And these are the kind of decisions that would keep me up at night. (Laughter and applause.) Well handled, sir. (Laughter.) Well handled.”

Watch the video here:

See more from the White House transcript.