President Obama may have dropped the mic, but comedian Larry Wilmore closed out his performance at Saturday’s White House Correspondents’ Dinner with dropped jaws.
The Comedy Central host ended his set at the annual "nerd prom" by referring to Obama by the n-word — affectionately.
"When I was a kid I lived in a country where people couldn’t accept a black quarterback,” Wilmore began in his closing remarks. "Now think about that: A black man was thought by his mere color not good enough to lead a football team. And now to live in your time, Mr. President, when a black man can lead the entire free world."
After that bit of earnestness, Wilmore boldly went where no White House Correspondents' Dinner host has gone before.
"Words alone do me no justice. So Mr. President I’m going to keep it 100: Yo Barry, you did it my n-gg-," Wilmore said, pounding his chest. "You did it."
That final moment ignited social media, yet many observers noted that Obama didn’t seem outwardly upset by the term, putting his hand to his chest playing along and giving Wilmore a hug.
Obama himself used the slur in June while discussing racism on comedian Marc Maron’s podcast, following the massacre of nine people at a predominantly-black church in Charleston.
Here’s how some on social media reacted to Wilmore’s use of the term:
