WASHINGTON

President Obama took aim at Democrats and Republicans alike last Saturday in his final appearance headlining the star-studded White House Correspondents’ Association Dinner. However, he saved his sharpest barbs for Republican presidential front-runner Donald Trump.

“The Republican establishment is incredulous that he’s their most likely nominee,” President Obama told attendees at the black-tie event, which brought together journalists and media moguls with Hollywood stars and power brokers from Capitol Hill and beyond.

“They say Donald lacks the foreign policy experience to be president. But in fairness, he has spent years meeting with leaders from around the world — Miss Sweden, Miss Argentina, Miss Azerbaijan,” the president said to howls of laughter, referring to contestants on the Miss Universe pageant that Mr. Trump formerly co-owned.

President Obama made fun of the angst many in the Republican establishment have expressed at the prospect that Mr. Trump or Tea Party candidate U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz could win the party’s nomination to run in the Nov. 8 presidential election.

“Guests were asked to check whether they wanted steak or fish. But instead, a whole bunch of you wrote in Paul Ryan,” President Obama said, referring to the top Republican in the House of Representatives, who many have hoped could be lured into running for president.

“That’s not an option people,” President Obama said, displaying comedic chops perfected through seven previous appearances at the annual dinner. “You may not like steak or fish, but that’s your choice.”

In his remarks, the president looked back on his years in office and jokingly predicted the country may be nearing its doom.

“The end of the republic has never looked better,” the tuxedo-clad president said, looking out at the well-groomed crowd as he blasted Republican Party Chairman Reince Priebus.

“Congratulations on all your success,” the president told Mr. Priebus, while wearing a sarcastic grin. “The Republican Party, the nomination process — it’s all going great.”

Larry Wilmore, the host of a show on cable outlet “Comedy Central,” took his own shots at Mr. Trump when he took the podium after President Obama, joking that, next year, the dinner will be called: “Donald Trump presents a luxurious evening paid for by Mexico.”

Mr. Trump has promised to build a wall between the United States and Mexico to prevent illegal immigration, and he has said he would force Mexico to pay for it.

Mr. Wilmore’s remarks at the end of the event have drawn criticism from several quarters, however, because of the way he referred to the president.

“All jokes aside, let me just say how much it means for me to be here tonight,” he said wrapping up. “I’ve always joked that I voted for the president because he’s black.

“But behind that joke is the humble appreciation for the historical implications for what your presidency means,” Mr. Wilmore added. “When I was a kid, I lived in a country where people couldn’t accept a black quarterback. 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. 

“Words alone do me no justice,” he concluded. “So, Mr. President, if I’m going to keep it 100,” Mr. Wilmore said, before pounding his chest. “Yo, Barry, you did it, my nigga!” 

Mr. Wilmore’s use of the word shed light on a debate among many in the African-American community: Those who feel it is an offensive slur and shouldn’t be used in any context, and others — including Mr. Wilmore — who feel that using it as a term of endearment among African-Americans robs the word of its negative power.

“I knew that it would be provocative and, yes, I was taking a big chance,” Wilmore told the Associated Press in an interview Tuesday. “But you know what, it was just a creative expression that I made at the time. I don’t know if I would take it back.”

He said that “at this point, I think it may open up a dialogue that at the end of the day is probably pretty good. And if I have to take the heat for it, that’s OK. Part of my job is to take the heat. I certainly dished out a lot of stuff.”

Mr. Wilmore said the president was “very kind and very warm” to him and the White House said Monday that President Obama wasn’t offended.

With a bit of nostalgia, President Obama reflected on his more than seven years in office, saying he had been a young man of idealism and vigor before he became president.

“Eight years ago, I said it was time to change the tone of our politics,” President Obama said. “In hindsight, I clearly should have been more specific.”