President Biden wasn’t afraid to poke fun at himself.
Last night’s White House Correspondents’ Dinner, hosted by The Daily Show correspondent and comedian Roy Wood Jr., was attended by celebrities and journalists alike. The generally playful dinner included a number of jokes about President Biden and his political opponents. Here’s a rundown of the most memorable moments of the night.
Although the White House Correspondents’ Dinner is generally a lighthearted affair, President Biden took the time to address some serious issues that affect the free press. He started his speech by discussing the Wall Street Journal‘s Evan Gershkovich, who was falsely accused of espionage by Russia and detained there in March. “Tonight our message is this: journalism is not a crime,” he said. He also mentioned journalist Austin Tice, who’s been held captive in Syria for over a decade. “Evan and Austin should be released immediately, along with every American held hostage or wrongfully detained abroad,” President Biden said.
Biden also addressed Brittney Griner, who was released from a Russian penal colony after nearly 10 months, and Paul Whelan, who is still detained there.
What is the White House Correspondents’ Dinner?
The annual dinner is hosted by the White House Correspondents Association, which is made up of journalists who are credentialed to cover the White House. According to its website, the WHCA “promotes excellence in journalism” and works “to ensure robust news coverage of the president and the presidency.” The WHCA gives out scholarships and awards for political reporting, and the dinner raises money for the association. The White House Correspondents’ Dinner has been held annually since 1920, with a few exceptions (which we’ll get to in a minute). While these days, it’s seen as an A-list affair that offers a lighthearted look at the past year in politics, it wasn’t always such a high-profile event. Calvin Coolidge became the first sitting president to attend the dinner in 1924, and it didn’t become a presidential roast until the 1980s, when Jay Leno and Richard Pryor hosted.
There have been some interruptions in the mostly annual fun tradition. In 2020 and 2021, the White House Correspondents’ Dinner was canceled because of the Covid-19 pandemic. It was also canceled a number of times throughout history, for various reasons: In 1930, because of the death of former president Taft; in 1942 because of World War II; and in 1951 because of what president Harry Truman called the “uncertainty of the world situation.” Since 1924, sitting presidents have usually been in attendance, although Ronald Regan skipped the event in 1981 because he was recovering from an assassination attempt, and Donald Trump made it a point to sit out the dinner during his presidency.
The best jokes from the White House Correspondents’ Dinner 2023
This year’s dinner was hosted by comedian Roy Wood Jr., who was not afraid to skewer both sides of the aisle in his remarks. President Biden also made a number of good-natured jabs at his own expense, and there were some common themes both speakers covered.
Biden’s age
Biden’s age has been the topic of much debate, even since before he officially announced his reelection bid. The president poked fun at the criticism during his monologue. “I believe in the First Amendment. Not just because my good friend Jimmy Madison wrote it,” he joked. He also took a timely jab: “You say ‘I’m over the hill,’ Don Lemon would say that’s a man in his prime!”
Host Roy Wood Jr. took a more worldly approach to the President’s age. “You should be inspired by the events in France,” he said. “They rioted when the retirement age went up two years to 64. … Meanwhile, in America, we have an 80-year-old man begging us for four more years of work.”
The Dominion lawsuit was a hot topic
The highly publicized defamation trial against Fox News reached a settlement just a few weeks before the White House Correspondents’ Dinner, so it’s no surprise it was brought up.
“It’s great that cable news networks are here tonight: MSNBC owned by NBC Universal, Fox News owned by Dominion Voting Systems,” said Biden. He added that Fox News reporters attended the dinner because, “with that $780 million settlement… they couldn’t say no to a free meal.”
Wood Jr. started his monologue off with a reference to the settlement. Speaking of the members of the press, he said, “Y’all look good. You’re dressed nice, you got the nice threads on, you got the jewelry glistening. Look like everybody got a little piece of that settlement money from Fox News.”
Later on, he took aim at both Fox and Democrats: “Fox claimed Dominion conspired with the Democrats to rig the election,” he said. “The Democrats should be flattered that they thought that y’all was smart enough to rig an election.”
Biden’s classified documents
It was a quick joke, but one of Wood Jr.’s best jokes of the night came soon after he took the stage. Fiddling with a piece of paper, he remarked to President Biden, “I think you left some of your classified documents up here.”
