President Biden's Humorous Moment at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner
President Joe Biden is set to grace the White House Correspondents’ Dinner, offering a prime opportunity for the president to showcase his wit and humor while playfully poking fun at the media and his predecessor, Donald Trump.
President Joe Biden will be attending the White House Correspondents' Dinner on Saturday night. This event gives him the opportunity to address a crowd of nearly 3,000 journalists, celebrities, and politicians. It is a tradition for presidents to speak at this dinner, dating back to Calvin Coolidge. Former President Donald Trump did not attend the dinner during his presidency, but had been a guest in the past as a private citizen.
Biden has been showing a side of himself that isn't typically seen - his sense of humor. He has been poking fun at his rival, making jokes about his hair, the decreasing stock price of Trump's social media company, and Trump's new venture into selling Trump-branded Bibles. This is a way for Biden to deflate some of the excessive attention and coverage that Trump is receiving during his criminal trial.
WASHINGTON - APRIL 29: (AFP OUT) U.S. President George W. Bush (L) and his inner monologue, played by Steve Bridges, entertain guests at the White House Correspondents' Dinner April 29, 2006 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Roger L. Wollenberg-POOL/Getty Images)
On April 29, 2006, U.S. President George W. Bush and his inner monologue, portrayed by Steve Bridges, provided entertainment for guests at the White House Correspondents' Dinner in Washington, DC. The event was captured by photographer Roger L. Wollenberg.
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The history of the White House Correspondents’ Dinner can be seen through pictures. Joe Biden mentioned to supporters at a campaign reception in New York that he hadn't been able to follow the court proceedings due to his campaign commitments.
Biden has given many speeches like this in the past, but this White House Correspondents’ Dinner carries extra importance. With his approval rating dropping, concerns have been raised by both voters and donors about his mental sharpness.
Let's take a look at how the Biden team is getting ready for the event.
When Biden announced that he had signed legislation providing $61 billion in aid to Ukraine and $26 billion in aid to Israel and Gaza, a new critic was present: Jeffrey Katzenberg. Katzenberg, co-chair of Biden's reelection campaign and former chief of content studio Dreamworks, has frequently offered advice to Biden on communicating with donors and voters.
Katzenberg was present this week to witness how Biden delivered prepared remarks and to assist the 81-year-old president in delivering witty remarks to the reporters who follow him.
"He's known as the Hollywood guy," a source from the administration told CNN. "He's the entertainer."
According to administration officials, Katzenberg took charge of daily strategy sessions at the White House residence this week to fine-tune Biden's comedy routine written by speechwriter Vinay Reddy. The sessions, which lasted for hours, involved key aides like Mike Donilon, Steve Ricchetti, Anita Dunn, press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre, and Annie Tomasini, who collaborated on selecting material and assisting Biden in refining his delivery and tone.
The group had its longest meeting on Friday, lasting about four hours with a short break. This was a day earlier than in previous years, avoiding the last-minute rush that required top aides to quickly get ready in the West Wing.
With Biden focusing on his Republican opponent, the White House wanted to make sure that Saturday Night Live's Colin Jost also targeted a wide range of political figures during the event.
Biden administration officials have expressed their concerns to Kelly O’Donnell, who is the president of the White House Correspondents’ Association and a senior White House correspondent for NBC News, as well as to Jost’s team in NBC’s entertainment division.
O’Donnell shared with CNN that the success of their dinner entertainment relies on catering to both parties and the national media. This approach has been a consistent focus in their discussions during the planning process this year. It is the WHCA’s goal to maintain this intention every year.
Biden has been playfully poking fun at Trump, even mentioning his legal troubles. Making jokes at Trump's expense has become a common part of Biden's public speeches. This is expected to continue during Biden's upcoming speech at the Washington Hilton's large ballroom on Saturday night, according to a source familiar with the situation.
President Joe Biden delivers remarks at a conference held by the North America's Building Trades Unions at the Washington Hilton in Washington, DC, on April 24.
President Joe Biden delivers remarks at a conference held by the North America's Building Trades Unions at the Washington Hilton in Washington, DC, on April 24.
Elizabeth Frantz/Reuters
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Biden continues to taunt Trump while carefully navigating his rival's trial. Despite incorporating humor into his attacks on Trump, Biden typically doesn't rely on punchlines in his speeches.
One former aide mentioned that he has used the phrase 'Not a joke, folks' more often than he has actually told jokes.
When it comes to writing a comedy speech, it is usually a collaborative effort, with jokes coming from various sources within Biden's circle. Katzenberg, in particular, has encouraged Biden to incorporate more self-deprecating jokes about his age.
Biden will provide guidance to his writers as they begin, such as specifying topics he wants to avoid or where he wants a more serious tone.
Staff members, including those not on the speechwriting team, will share joke suggestions. Some will be included in the speech, while others will be discarded.
In the past years, Rob Flaherty, who was previously the director of digital strategy and is now a deputy campaign manager, along with Dan Cluchey, a senior speechwriter, were recognized for sharing some of the best material.
When Biden served as vice president, he often sought assistance from outside sources for his comedy speeches at events like the yearly Gridiron dinner. One of the writers Biden reached out to was Jon Macks, a prominent writer from "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno" who has also worked on numerous Oscars ceremonies. Another individual involved in the process during Biden's vice presidency mentioned receiving a submission from Seth Meyers, who was then the head writer for "Saturday Night Live."
Before big speeches – and, because of the important of timing and cadence, particularly comedy speeches – Biden practices with groups of aides.
Political ramifications of previous dinners
During past dinners, Biden has shown a mix of humor and seriousness. This year, striking that balance may be more challenging given the current backdrop of conflict in Gaza, hunger crisis, and unrest on college campuses where heavy-handed police tactics have been used on protesting students.
Despite the dinners being intended as fun events, some previous occasions have had significant political consequences.
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Watch: Iconic moments from past White House Correspondents’ dinners
When Trump was a guest at the 2011 dinner, President Barack Obama made jokes about him. Obama teased Trump for promoting the false "birther" conspiracy theory and his time on "The Apprentice."
Obama playfully pointed out Trump's decision-making skills by mentioning how he didn't blame Lil Jon or Meatloaf, but instead fired Gary Busey. He joked that these types of decisions would keep him up at night.
Obama mentioned giving approval for the raid that ultimately resulted in the death of Osama bin Laden before heading to the dinner. Some people believe that Obama's handling of Trump at the 2011 dinner may have motivated Trump to run for president.
This year's dinner will be broadcast live on CSPAN, with CNN also airing a special highlighting Biden's speech and Jost's comedic performance.
One senior adviser told CNN that when asked about the upcoming dinner before the weekend, they mentioned that President Biden does enjoy the event. The adviser mentioned that the president likes spending time with reporters. However, they also added that President Biden may never openly admit it.
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