President Biden wasted no time.
Just minutes into his speech at the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner on Saturday, Mr. Biden spoke about the factors that will govern the 2024 election, including his age and former President Donald J. Trump’s hush money trial in New York. I started the problem.
“The 2024 election is in full swing. Age is certainly an issue,” Biden said in a roughly 10-minute speech. “I’m a grown man fighting a 6-year-old.”
“Donald has had some tough days lately. Mr. Biden has accused Mr. Trump of having a sexual relationship with Mr. Trump in 2006 and that he received hush money from her in the days before the 2016 incident. The deal was at the center of his New York trial.
The comment was notable, even if part of an accusation, given that Mr. Biden has barred his aides from speaking publicly about Mr. Trump’s legal problems. But they also come as Mr. Biden has stepped up his attacks on Mr. Trump, sharpening the divide between the president on the campaign trail and the former president who spends his days in court.
The annual dinner at the Washington Hilton offered journalists and government officials a break from the usual fray for a night of glamorous gossip celebrating freedom of the press. Biden, who has held fewer press conferences than his predecessor, paid tribute to the journalists gathered for the dinner.
“Some of you have complained that I haven’t taken enough of your questions,” Biden said. “No Comment.”
“The New York Times issued a statement slamming me for ‘actively and effectively avoiding independent journalists,'” Biden said. “If that’s what it takes for the New York Times to say I’m active and competent, I’m all for it.”
But outside the gates of the Washington Hilton, anger over Biden’s support for Israel’s war in Gaza was palpable.
As journalists and politicians arrived at the hotel, many people flocked to the pro-Palestinian demonstrators, chanting “shame!” Other protesters wearing news vests bearing the names of more than 100 Palestinian journalists killed in Gaza also lay in front of the dinner venue.
“By putting human bodies on the street, we are causing some discomfort,” protest organizer Hazami Barmada told journalists attending the event.
According to the U.S. government, many journalists at the hotel’s ballroom chanted “Free Evan” to raise awareness of Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich, who has been unjustly detained in Russia since March 2023. He was wearing a pin that read “Do it!”
Kelly O’Donnell, NBC News’ senior White House correspondent and Correspondents Association president, used her remarks to call attention to journalists who have been captured or killed in the line of duty, including Gershkovic. . Austin Tice was kidnapped while reporting in Syria. And the journalists killed in Gaza.
“Our profession is dangerous,” O’Donnell said. “About 100 journalists have been killed since October, most of them in Gaza.”
O’Donnell also said the association wanted to choose both a writer and a comedian for this year’s host. Colin Jost, co-anchor of Saturday Night Live’s Weekend Update and former reporter for the Staten Island Advance, spent about 23 minutes making fun of the president.
But Jost’s speech was relatively light and even included some support for Biden. He concluded by pointing out that his grandfather, who recently passed away, voted for Biden in the last election.
“The reason he voted for you is because you’re a decent person,” Jost said.
Still, Jost seized the opportunity to embarrass the president over the poll numbers.
“Weekend Update co-anchor Michael Che was also scheduled to be here tonight, but he decided to forfeit all Black support in solidarity with President Biden,” Jost said. He said this while referring to a public opinion poll. Biden is having a tough time with black voters.
Over grilled petit filet mignon, celebrities and journalists also had the opportunity to learn about policy decisions that will affect Americans for years to come. NBC News anchor Lester Holt sat next to White House Chief of Staff Jeffrey D. Zaients, who made sure to stand up and have a brief conversation with the Rev. Al Sharpton.
Not everyone wore tuxedos or dresses. Sen. John Fetterman, Democrat of Pennsylvania, appeared wearing a white hooded sweatshirt with a bow tie design on the front.
Many Hollywood figures attended the dinner, and actress Scarlett Johansson, who is married to Mr. Jost, was seated in front. The popular cable news anchor dined with actors Jon Hamm and Sean Penn, among others.
Politicians such as Democratic leaders, Sen. Chuck Schumer of New York and Gov. J.B. Pritzer of Chicago, held court with guests before heading to their seats, and Biden campaign officials said Mr. He was talking about recent polls showing his lead narrowing. .
Mr. Biden also seemed encouraged. Although he rarely mentioned Trump by name in the early days of his presidency, he has been aggressively criticizing Trump in recent days, and continued to do so on Saturday.
“Did you hear what Donald said about the great battles of the Civil War?” Biden said. “Gettysburg. Oh. Trump’s speech was so embarrassing that Robert E. Lee’s statue has surrendered again.”
“The only thing we have in common is age,” Biden, 81, said of Trump, 77. “My vice president actually supports me,” he said, referring to former Vice President Mike Pence’s disapproval of him. I support Mr. Trump.
Biden also warned of the threat posed by his political opponents to democracy in a dinner speech that has become a focus of his message to voters.
“Let’s focus on what’s actually at stake,” Biden said. “The stakes couldn’t be higher.”
