President Donald Trump pronounced Yosemite National Park as “Yo Semites” during a signing ceremony on Aug. 4, sparking a series of jokes on Twitter.
Trump was announcing the signing of the Great American Outdoors Act, which will provide $9.5 billion to maintain national parks.
“We want every American child to have access to pristine outdoor spaces, when young Americans experience the breathtaking beauty of the Grand Canyon, when their eyes widen in amazement as Old Faithful burst into the sky, when they gaze upon Yo Semites,’ yo-seminites’, towering Sequoias, their love of country grows stronger,” Trump said.
VIRAL MOMENT: President Trump has trouble pronouncing 'Yosemite.' pic.twitter.com/nkMAev0udW
— The Hill (@thehill) August 4, 2020
Twitter users immediately churned out jokes on the matter.
“He said ‘yo-Semites,’ to which we say ‘Hi!’” The Forward tweeted, linking to a parody rap lyrics on the matter. Among the lyrics, which were based in part on Coolio’s “Gangsta Paradise,” were: “We’ve been spending most of our lives living like yo-Semites /Wearing the t-shirt right living like yo-Semites / Those national parks are tight when you’re a yo-Semite.”
Jewish Telegraphic Agency’s Ron Kampeas also tweeted parody lyrics on the gaffe.
“Yo Semites, So, Semites, when you gonna Go, Semites, listen up to Mo, Semites, get away from Pharoah, Semites,” he wrote.
Yo Semites, So, Semites, when you gonna Go, Semites, listen up to Mo, Semites, get away from Pharoah, Semites.
— Ron Kampeas (@kampeas) August 4, 2020
Daily Wire editor-in-chief Ben Shapiro tweeted, “Yo, where my Semites at? (Hint: they are in Yosemite.)”
Yo, where my Semites at? (Hint: they are in Yosemite.)
— Ben Shapiro (@benshapiro) August 4, 2020
