U.S. President Joe Biden delivers a speech at the White House Correspondents’ Association (WHCA) Dinner on Saturday, April 27, 2024, in Washington, DC, the United States.
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President Joe Biden On Saturday, he used a White House Correspondents’ Dinner speech to blast the former president Donald Trumpattacking the presumptive Republican nominee while highlighting the stakes of the election.
Biden joked about his political rivals and addressed the issue of his age, calling himself “an adult competing against six-year-olds.”
The president later said age was the only thing he and Trump had in common, adding, “My vice president actually has my back,” referring to former Vice President Mike Pence reject said he would support his former running mate in 2024.
But Biden’s speech took a serious turn as he discussed the stakes of November’s presidential election, echoing themes from his campaign speeches and highlighting what he called Trump’s “assault on our democracy.”
The president urged the media to “face the seriousness of this situation.”
“Put aside the horse numbers, the ‘gotcha’ moments, the distractions and sideshows that have come to dominate and sensationalize our politics, and focus on what’s really at stake,” Biden said. “I think, in your hearts, you know what is The stakes are high.”
On April 27, 2024, U.S. President Biden delivered a speech at the White House Correspondents Association (WHCA) dinner held at the Washington Hilton Hotel in Washington, DC.
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Biden also highlighted the detention of a Wall Street Journal reporter Evan GershkovichHe has been imprisoned in Russia for more than a year on espionage charges, a charge he and his employer deny.His case was labeled wrongfully detained by the U.S.
The president called on Russian President Vladimir Putin to immediately release Gershkovic, adding that the White House was also making every effort to bring freelance journalist Austin Tice and businessman Paul Whelan home.
Gershkovich’s parents and Theis’ mother were among about 2,600 guests at the dinner, NBC News political reporter Steve Kornacki estimated in a video shown at the event.
“As Biden, I promise you: We will not give up until we get them home,” Biden said. “All of them.”
Biden also highlighted instances of Americans being wrongfully detained overseas, including Geshkovic, at last year’s dinner party. In a speech last year, the president emphasized that “journalism is not a crime” and noted that a free press is the “backbone” of a “free society.”
Celebrities attending Saturday’s event included Jost’s wife Scarlett Johansson; Rachel Brosnahan and Quavo. Prominent politicians and government officials, including Secretary of State Antony Blinken, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., and Sen. John Fetterman, D-Pa., also attended.
First lady Jill Biden, Vice President Kamala Harris and second lady Doug Emhoff also attended the event at the Washington Hilton.
NBC News senior White House correspondent Kelly O’Donnell serves as the 2023-24 president of the White House Correspondents’ Association and hosted the dinner.
“Saturday Night Live” cast members Colin Jost Was the featured entertainer at the dinner. He is the co-host of NBC’s “Weekend Update” segment.
Like Biden, Jost made several jokes about the former president, including Trump’s criminal trial.
Jost also took aim at Biden at times, comparing the economy to the president ascending the steps of Air Force One: “It feels like stumbling, but somehow there’s upward progress.” The comedian also told the president that he is now My late grandfather voted for Biden in the last election because he thought he was “a decent guy.”
Hundreds of protesters mobilized outside the banquet hall at the 100-year-old traditional dinner, calling for a ceasefire and criticizing Biden’s response to the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza.
Protesters chanted “Shame on you!” as attendees passed them into the hotel. They also loudly criticized the media and held up a large sign that read “Stop media involvement in genocide.”
Pro-Palestinian demonstrators protest outside the Washington Hilton Hotel, site of the annual White House Correspondents’ Dinner, on April 27, 2024 in Washington, DC.
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“Whenever the media lies, journalists in Gaza die,” the crowd echoed the leader’s megaphone chant.
Later, the protesters called for the collapse of the Western media, chanting “Brick by brick, wall by wall, the Western media will collapse.”
“Attendees will have access to layered security screening at the dinner,” Secret Service Communications Director Anthony Guglielmi said in a statement, adding that there would be “intermittent” road closures near the venue.
Guglielmi added: “Regarding public demonstrations, we are working closely with the D.C. Police Department to protect individuals’ rights to assemble, but we still will not tolerate illegal behavior.”
After the dinner, two protesters holding signs that read “Stop Israeli Genocide” entered the hotel’s red carpet area as guests left. They questioned attendees and were led away by security.
The president has had to contend with protesters demonstrating outside official events, and sometimes interrupt his speech. In responseBiden’s team has been working to reduce the size of the president’s event and keep its exact location open for longer than usual in an effort to reduce potential disruptions.
earlier this month, Palestinian journalist wrote an open letter Called on others to boycott the White House Correspondents’ Dinner “as a show of solidarity with us – your fellow journalists – and the millions of Palestinians currently starving in Gaza” and noted the Biden administration’s support for Israel.
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