Biden hosts White House press dinner after six years

WASHINGTON: United States President Joe Biden has resumed the tradition of speaking at the annual White House Correspondents’ Dinner after a six-year presidential hiatus.

He is the first leader to speak at the event, where the president faces friendly mocking in front of an audience of journalists, since 2016. It was cancelled for two years due to the pandemic and was boycotted by Donald Trump when he was in office.

Comedian and The Daily Show host Trevor Noah headlined the event. Celebrities joined renowned journalists and high-ranking US officials for the gala – an American press tradition dating back to 1921. Kim Kardashian, Pete Davidson, Drew Barrymore and Chris Tucker were among the celebrity guests.

Biden opened his speech by cracking jokes about his low approval ratings, his age and Trump’s dislike of the media. “I’m really excited to be here tonight with the only group of Americans with a lower approval rating than I have,” Biden said.

His remarks took a more serious turn as he praised journalists covering the Russian invasion of Ukraine before making a plea for national unity.

“A poison is running through our democracy… with disinformation massively on the rise,” Biden said. “You, the free press, matter more than you ever did in the last century. I really mean it.”

Journalists, media executives, administration officials and celebrities attended the dinner. It included slideshows honoring the first two female Black reporters to join the White House Correspondents Association, and journalists who lost their lives in recent months covering Ukraine.

Biden took the opportunity to poke fun at Fox News hosts in attendance – many of whom voice skepticism of vaccines on air – by pointing out they had to prove vaccination status in order to attend.

Biden took extra precautions at the event by skipping the dinner portion and attending only the speakers program. He opted not to wear a mask while speaking.

The White House Correspondents Association was founded in 1914 and has held a dinner nearly every year since 1921 to celebrate the reporters who cover the presidency and raise money for scholarships.

Biden could not resist a jab at Putin in closing out his remarks. “Trevor, the really good news is, now you get to roast the president of the United States,” he said to Noah, who gave the event’s roast. “And unlike in Moscow, you won’t go to jail.”