This was so strange.
On Saturday (April 30), President Joe Biden attended the first White House Correspondents’ Dinner since 2019. During his speech, the President joked about his low approval ratings and the GOP slogan “Let’s Go Brandon,” among other self-deprecating jokes, with some garnering more laughter than others.
Speaking to the crowd of approximately 2,000 journalists and celebrities, Biden poked fun at his approval rating, saying, “Special thanks to the 42 percent of you that actually applauded.”
He then poked fun at his audience, “I’m really excited to be here tonight with the only group of Americans with a lower approval rating than I have.”
The conservative slogan “Let’s Go Brandon,” which mocks the President, also got a mention, with Biden saying that it appears Republicans “support some guy named Brandon,” adding that Brandon’s “having a really good year. And I’m happy for him.”
Biden also used the opportunity to throw a punch at his predecessor, former President Donald Trump, without ever naming him.
Given that Trump did not attend the White House Correspondents’ Dinner during his term as President, Biden noted that he was the first President to attend the event in six years, calling it “understandable” since “We had a horrible plague followed by two years of COVID.” This joke drew audible laughter.
Biden once again highlighted Trump’s absence from the dinner when the Republican was President while joking about Trump’s insistence that the 2020 Presidential elections were rigged, saying it would be a “real coup” if Trump showed up.
He also joked about the explosive tapes of Rep. Kevin McCarthy and his age before turning his attention to serious subjects, like the free press, which Biden said was “quintessentially American,” drawing parallels between Moscow and the U.S.
When introducing comedian Trevor Noah, the President joked that, unlike in Moscow, Noah could mock Biden without the fear of going to jail.
