A decades-old clip of Robin Williams has resurfaced online, sending the internet into a frenzy over a now-viral joke about Donald Trump and his beauty pageants.
In the 2012 performance, Williams opened with his signature chaotic energy, riffing on Atlantic City. “I had a traditional Thanksgiving in Atlantic City. What a wonderful place to go,” he said. “The boardwalk is a bit run down, though. It’s kind of like the Wizard of Oz on acid chunkies and pimps and pizza, oh my!”
Then came his Trump bit. “Donald Trump is the Wizard of Oz,” Williams quipped. “He is the guy. He plays Monopoly with real fucking buildings. This is a scary man.”
But it was the next lines that have audiences revisiting Williams’ comedy in a whole new light. “And he owns all these beauty pageants, Miss America, Miss Universe. Isn’t it a bit like Michael Vick owning a series of pet stores?” he asked.
“It’s like… it’s a fucking catch and release program for him,” Williams continued, drawing gasps and laughter. “This is a man who said, ‘My daughter is hot.’ Even people in Arkansas went, ‘That’s fucking wrong. That’s just way out of place.’”
Williams didn’t stop at the pageants. He went after Trump’s iconic hairstyle: “And that f*cking hair. My God. I believe the hair is the Donald. I believe that’s it. I believe the body is a maintenance system for the hair when he goes home at night.”
Online, viewers have zeroed in on the “catch and release” comment about Trump’s pageants. The clip has sparked a storm of speculation, some connecting it to dark conspiracy theories about Williams’ death. Social media users debated everything from the joke’s sharpness to its eerie foresight, with hashtags trending across Reddit, Twitter, and YouTube.
For those who remember Williams’ brilliance, it’s a reminder of how fearless he was with satire, never shying away from targeting larger-than-life figures. Critics and fans alike are noting the comedian’s ability to blend absurdity and critique in a way that’s simultaneously hilarious and unsettling.
Williams, the Academy Award winner and comic supernova, died in an apparent suicide in August 2014 at the age of 63.
Even years later, the video has cemented itself as a must-watch clip for Robin Williams fans and political junkies alike — a piece of comedy history that continues to provoke discussion long after the performance.
Watch the clip below:
