Newsman: President Joe Biden addressed the White House Correspondents’ Association on Saturday night, the first time a president has spoken at the event in six years. President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden attended the charity event at the Washington Hilton, the first sitting president to do so since 2016. The event was cancelled during the pandemic, and former president Donald Trump avoided the event while he was in office.
The president joked about criticism he has faced in his first 15 months in power, and the press, the opposition, and Trump. “Just imagine if my predecessor came to this dinner this year” the president said. “Now that would really have been a real coup.”
He also joked about his current standing in the polls and described the journalists in the room as the” I’m really excited to be here tonight with the only group of Americans with a lower approval rating than I have”.
He also made light of the “Let’s Go Brandon” slogan, which is used by opposition to swear at the president. “Republicans seem to support one fella, some guy named Brandon,” Biden said. “He’s having a really good year. I’m happy for him.”
The president honed in on the theme of the evening and honored the assembled reporters.
“You, the free press, matter more than you ever have in the past century,” Biden said.
He also had a dig at Fox News. “I know there are a lot of questions about whether we should gather here tonight because of COVID. Well, we’re here to show the country that we’re getting through this pandemic. Plus, everyone has to prove they are fully vaccinated and boosted,” Biden said. “Just contact your favorite Fox News reporter. They’re all here. Vaccinated and boosted.”
In addition to speeches from Biden and comedian Trevor Noah, the event had skits from talk-show host James Corden, comedian Bill Eichner and Biden himself.
“Thank you for having me here,” Noah said to Biden. “And I was a little confused on why me, but then I was told that you get your highest approval ratings when a biracial African guy is standing next to you.”
President Biden praised the role of journalism in American democracy. “I mean this from the bottom of my heart, that you, the free press, matter more than you ever did in the last century,” he said. “You are the guardians of the truth.”
Biden was addressing an audience of 2,600 people, including journalists, government officials and celebrities. Making light of recently leaked comments from the House of Representatives’ minority leader, Biden said: “There’s nothing I can say about the GOP that Kevin McCarthy hasn’t already put on tape.”
The event is held by the White House Correspondents’ Association, which represents White House reporters, and has been a tradition since 1921. The dinner seeks to raise awareness of the First Amendment, raises money for journalism programs and includes jokes at the expense of the president, the Washington, D.C., community and other news topics.
“The Daily Show” host Trevor Noah emceed this year’s dinner. Other non-politician celebrities are expected to attend the event as well, including Drew Barrymore, Kim Kardashian and Pete Davidson.
Noah mocked the White House Correspondents’ Dinner as a “superspreader event.”
He also noted that Washington’s elite had gathered only weeks after there was a COVID-19 outbreak.
“For real, what are we doing here? Did none of you learn anything from the Gridiron dinner? Nothing?” he said.
“You guys spent the last two years telling everyone the importance of wearing masks and avoiding large in-door gatherings, then the second someone offers you a free dinner, you all turn into Joe Rogan.”
