During the White House Correspondents’ Dinner, President Joe Biden addressed concerns regarding his age in a humorous manner, while also delivering a series of barbs at former President Donald Trump, his political adversary. Nearly 3,000 people, including journalists, personalities, and political figures, attended the event at the Washington Hilton, which was held amid increased security due to anti-Israel demonstrations outside.
Biden lightheartedly alluded to the forthcoming 2024 election while emphasizing the age disparity with Trump, who is four years his junior, in his address. “The election of 2024 is currently underway. Moreover, absolutely. An issue is age. “I am a grown man competing against a 6-year-old,” he joked, to the delight of the audience. He joked to the audience that he was in excellent health by stating, “I truly feel fantastic.” Campaigning throughout the entire nation. Pennsylvania, Georgia, and North Carolina are among the original thirteen colonies where I have consistently achieved success.
Additionally, Biden was not afraid to make light of himself. As he reflected on the event of the previous year, he related a conversation he had with his wife regarding his anxiety: “I reassured her, ‘Don’t be concerned, it’s just like riding a bicycle.'” Her remark, “That is precisely what concerns me,” alluded to his infamous bicycle accident that occurred in Delaware in 2022.
The President also made fun of one of Trump’s recent addresses, specifically one delivered at Gettysburg: “Trump’s speech was so humiliating that the statue of Robert E. Lee capitulated once more,” he quipped. He further emphasized the divergences between himself and Trump, placing particular emphasis on the absence of his vice president, Mike Pence, endorsing Trump.
Biden continued his comedic assault by making light of Trump’s legal issues and his foray into the Bible market: “Donald has endured a difficult few days recently—you might call it stormy weather.” This was a reference to both the weather and Trump’s hush money trial, which included turbulent Daniels. “Trump began reading the Bibles he is selling with such desperation that he reached the first commandment: ‘You shall not have another God before me.'” “At that moment, he set it down and declared, ‘This book is not for me.'”
The evening also featured comedy from Colin Jost, co-host of “Saturday Night Live” Weekend Update, who mocked both Biden and Trump without restraining. Ailing to Biden’s age and Trump’s recent courtroom snoozing, Jost illustrated the evening’s recurring motif of satirical political commentary.
The White House Correspondents’ Dinner functioned as a platform for political satire and a fundraising event to support journalism scholarships for aspiring professionals, thereby emphasizing its significance in cultivating the next generation of reporters.