It was an upheaval felt all over the world.
At least that was the case in a room of Minnesota Republicans who watched as Donald Trump wobbled from the podium during his speech Friday night. And, of course, there are the 450,000 or so X users who saw a video of President Trump swaying on stage, courtesy of the Biden-Harris campaign account, which attempts to paint the former president as an outlier.
When President Trump spoke at the annual Minnesota Republican Party dinner, the podium was hit by a budget and distorted as he leaned forward to make his point. An enraged President Trump then teed off, lamenting that “this place is falling apart” and scolding the podium for leaning further and further to the left as if it had “too many other things going on.”
But Trump is not the only politician with problems from the podium. Covered by the Daily Beast. Let’s not forget when the presidential seal fell off former President Barack Obama’s podium or when his podium-themed account trolled Trump in 2016.
Welcome to our guide to the most cringe-worthy podium drama in recent memory.
Arkansas Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders’ Podium Gate
The official Wikipedia page, “Gate Scandals and Controversies,” lists the wasteful spending by Arkansas Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders (R), giving it the title “Podium Gate.”
Last year, Sanders’ office oversaw the purchase of a $19,029.25 custom lectern. The purchase, from a Virginia-based event company with ties to Mr. Sanders, was made with taxpayer money from a state-issued credit card and later reimbursed by the Arkansas Republican Party. (A Sanders spokesperson later called the use of an official credit card an “accounting error.”)
The eye-watering price tag sparked an explosion of scrutiny around the plain blue, wood-paneled podium, prompting the governor’s office to parade it to the public. Ms Saunders said that although the podium looked plain, it was made to her specifications and designed to “give the best sound quality”, making it ideal for her 5ft 4in frame.
A formal audit of lectern purchases released last month at the request of the Arkansas Legislature found possible violations of Arkansas law by the governor’s office, including purchasing lecterns for operating expenses and shredding the budget if standards were not met. Seven areas were pointed out. Tampering with bills of lading, public records.
That $19,000 sticker included a $2,500 consulting fee, according to the report, which may have been a wise investment — as President Trump demonstrated Friday. There’s nothing worse than being on the podium.
Mr. Sanders does not appear to be phased by the audit report. She clapped back at her X with her satirical hype video for her podium. The video ended with the phrase, “Let’s take it,” a phrase often used by conservatives to defend gun rights.
President Barack Obama’s deceptive campaign launch podium
When Obama ran for president in 2007 on a frigid February day in Springfield, Illinois, he wanted to project strength and warmth.
So the then-Senator got a little help from a heater built into Obama’s branded blue podium.
With temperatures dropping into the single digits, the heaters installed at President Obama’s feet were so effective that the future president didn’t even need to wear gloves. The heaters were reportedly not visible to the audience during Obama’s speech, allowing the appearance of Superman to be projected as those planning to vote for him shivered.
“It wasn’t very cold,” President Obama told The New York Times.
Once in the Oval Office, Mr. Obama had another major podium conflict. When she spoke at Fortune magazine’s “Most Powerful Women Summit” in 2010, her presidential seal slipped from President Obama’s podium.
“Whoa,” President Obama said as the seals clattered beneath his feet.
However, the 44th commander-in-chief, who is definitely soft-spoken, managed to overcome the blunder with a smile.
“It’s okay,” he said. “You all know who I am.”
President Trump’s menacing empty lectern
The podium defeated Trump on Friday, but he has also mastered the art of turning it into a political prop.
President Trump set up an empty podium on stage ahead of an April rally in Green Bay, Wisconsin, intended to symbolize President Joe Biden’s future position on the debate stage.
“This is Joe Biden’s. I’m trying to get him to debate,” Trump taunted. “I’m trying to get Crooked Joe to debate. Anytime, anywhere.”
In response, a Biden spokesperson quipped: “President Trump said last fall that the only people who want debates are losers. At least we agree on one point.”
It is unlikely that Mr. Trump’s podium gamble alone would have had the effect of embarrassing Mr. Biden on the debate stage. But since the stunt, Biden has agreed to take on Trump in what is sure to be a blockbuster showdown hosted by CNN and ABC in June and August. (The networks did not respond to The Daily Beast’s questions about whether lecterns would be on stage for the debates.)
But as Friday proved, the podium isn’t always Trump-friendly. The 2016 X account targeted the then-presidential aspirant by anthropomorphizing Trump’s empty lecterns on stage at debates and rallies.
“I may be standing in front of Donald, but that doesn’t mean I’m standing by his side,” said X’s biography on the podium.
