President Joe Biden will host a traditional press dinner on Saturday in Washington. Jokes are now an integral part of the occasion, along with Biden, presenter Trevor Noah.
The United States has also begun to return to a more normal way of life after the corona pandemic. One sign of this is the White House’s traditional press dinner, which took place on Saturday after a two-year hiatus.
The president hosted his first dinner for the press and other dignitaries Joe Biden praised the previous president in his speech Donald Trumpiaas it was the first time in six years that the incumbent President was attending dinner.
Trump boycotted dinner held during his presidency since 1921, and for the past two years a corona pandemic has prevented it from being held.
– It is understandable. We had a horrible plague – and it was followed by two more years of corona, Biden joked at Trump’s expense.
In the more serious part of his speech, Biden reflected on the state of democracy around the world and the role of the dinner, ie the press, in maintaining it.
– Abroad, the liberal world order that laid the foundations for the post-World War II era of peace, stability and prosperity is genuinely and seriously under threat. Here at home, the poison is flowing through our democracy. Disinformation spreads, truth is buried under lies, lies live as truth. It is clear, and I really mean this from the bottom of my heart, that you, the representatives of the free press, are more important than ever in the last century. I really mean this, Biden told the audience.
The Russian president, who attacked Ukraine, also received his spike from President Biden Vladimir Putin. Biden mocked Russia’s narrowed individual freedoms when he gave the floor to a well-known comedian and presenter Trevor Noahille.
– Trevor, really good news for you: you can now rogue the President of the United States. And unlike in Moscow, you won’t go to jail for it, Biden said.
Noah responded to Biden’s joke with the same theme.
– Do you understand how awesome it is? I was standing here in front of you today joking about the President of the United States, and nothing is happening to me, Noah said.
He then turned to President Biden and confirmed:
– Isn’t anything going on for me?
In his speech, President Biden also recalled that U.S. democracy is not a reality TV show. However, in addition to some 2,600 members of the press and high-ranking officials, dinner also featured numerous public figures familiar from reality TV, such as Kim Kardashiana comedian known for her boyfriend, Saturday Night Live Pete Davidsonas well as Hollywood Actors Drew Barrymore and Chris Tucker, BBC (switch to another service) says.